


the prince's new bodyguard

by hatoe



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Adonis is royalty and Kaoru is a thief, Arabian Gacha AU, M/M, gay hijinks ensue regardless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-19
Updated: 2016-12-02
Packaged: 2018-08-15 23:44:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8078146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hatoe/pseuds/hatoe
Summary: “The palace hired me as your bodyguard,” Kaoru enthusiastically lied, hoping to cover his own ass and reassert his claim that he definitely wasn’t here to steal anything.“Oh,” the Prince said, and his expression didn’t change. Kaoru was scared he was about to be tortured or publicly executed for a crime like this, for trespassing and attempted theft; but the Prince continued speaking, “My name is Adonis Otogari, thank you for committing to serving me.” He smiled so genuinely, not a clue in his head of Kaoru’s true intentions, “May I have your name?”--------------------------------Based on Adonis and Kaoru's 4* and 5* from the Arabian Nights gacha





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this started out as a stupid oneshot smutfic but Here we are.  
> 

Thieves and beggars end up as the lowest rung of the societal ladder. A bit higher than them is manual labor; folks who make a meager, though honest, living. Naturally, royalty belongs at the top, the ladder so high that they can’t even see those stuck at the bottom.

Kaoru was almost certain that metaphor was inspired by real life, every level of the palace he scaled brought him farther and farther from the ground. There was only one family living in it, so why did it have to be so damn large? Kaoru shared a room with his sister, a single room, where they lived together, separated from the rest of their family. Food could be scarce or plentiful, depending on what Kaoru was able to find (with a five finger discount, of course) and trade. 

This evening he was scaling the palace. He’d heard by word of mouth that much of the royal family was away, save for the Prince, and Kaoru hatched a plan. It was risky, seeing as he’d never tried entering the palace before, but this seemed like a once in a lifetime chance. Kaoru jumped onto the palace balcony, keeping his head below the short stone wall that sectioned it off from the world. The thief managed to climb up here when a guard wasn’t looking. 

Kaoru laughed under his breath, security ended up being a joke. If this was all it took to get into the palace, he had no idea why he didn’t try sooner. 

There was a door ajar at the end of the balcony, and Kaoru kept his eyes and ears alert as he drew closer. “Idiots… leaving the door open when they go out,” he muttered. The door was framed with affluent curtains that touched the floor, occasionally blowing in the breeze. Kaoru hid himself behind one of them as he entered the room, staying close to the floor to avoid an obvious human-shaped bulge in the fabric.

The room seemed to be currently uninhabited, and judging by the decor it was a bedroom. A canopied bed stood at one end, with various dressers and decor lining the walls. Kaoru scurried around the room like a rat, inspecting whatever trinkets he thought he could easily take with him. There were necklaces, rings, all of which with various gems and stones inlaid. He and his sister could live decently for a year if he just took one or two things. But why stop there?

The real prize looked like it was on the bedside table. Kaoru spied various golden jewelry, surely  _ real  _ genuine gold, he’d never seen so much all in one place before. It was just sitting there, ripe for the taking. It was laid about so carelessly, like nobody would miss it if they laid it out like that before going on a trip. 

Naturally, Kaoru picked up a handful of it. Golden chains threaded through his fingers and clattered against the table.  _ ‘This is what it feels like to rule the world,’ _ he thought, twirling the gold in the light and watching it shimmer.

The bed looked upscale as well. Kaoru didn’t know it was possible to sleep on something so large and plush. Colorful sheets were strewn about, and he muttered, “How carele--” stopping himself as he noticed the sleeping figure tangled in the sheets. Kaoru focused on his face, through the thin fabric of the canopy he could see that the other boy looked young. He didn’t want to think it was the Prince. He didn’t want to think he was in the Prince’s room, less than a foot away from the Prince himself.

But that seemed to be the case.

The other boy looked so youthful, clearly never worked a day in his life. He probably bathed regularly too, there wasn’t a speck of dirt on him. Kaoru found himself mesmerized, though clearly it was because the other boy was royalty, not because he was incredibly  _ incredibly  _ beautiful.

“Nnn...” the Prince groaned in his sleep, extending his arm toward the edge of the bed.

Kaoru knew he had to go. He had to get out of there right now  _ immediately _ . He held the gold in his hand and his legs seemed frozen in place. Sweat dripped down his back, soaking into his shirt, as he tried to decide what to do. He had to run, fast, but he didn’t want to leave empty handed. He was relying on this heist for so much, he  _ needed  _ it for himself and his sister.

One last look at the Prince’s face, then Kaoru decided to place the jewelry back down, intending on taking something smaller, something that wouldn’t be so missed. It clattered back into place, and as it did, a hand met Kaoru’s own.

“Who…?” the Prince spoke quietly, through half lidded eyes, “Who are you?” In a sleepy daze he held Kaoru’s hand, some of the jewelry falling between their fingers. His dark purple hair looked disheveled, like he’d rolled around in his sleep. His small vest was also slipping off his shoulder.

Kaoru’s hand felt sweaty in seconds, when did it get get so hot?

“Excuse me,” the Prince spoke again, clearing his throat and sitting up in bed.

The thief’s heart beat fast in his chest, he’d been here way too long. He knew the Prince was looking right at his face, he  _ knew  _ he could be identified in a lineup.

Of course, a lineup assumed he’d be able to escape the palace in the first place.

“I…” Kaoru started, wondering what the hell to do. He’d gotten himself out of situations like this before, though nothing as drastic as ‘I got caught stealing from the Prince by the Prince himself’.  _ ‘I can run,’ _ he thought to himself,  _ ‘I can cut my losses, and I can run. But… I’ve been seen, so I’m fucked.’ _ He desperately wracked his brain,  _ ‘Is there anything else?’  _

Kaoru could only think of one alternative, and it was the first thing to pop into his head. It seemed like the other boy had been waiting on a response for hours, so he didn’t waste any time.

“The palace hired me as your bodyguard,” Kaoru enthusiastically lied, hoping to cover his own ass and reassert his claim that he definitely wasn’t here to steal anything. If he was believed, he wouldn’t have to run. Maybe he could even bail later on, he could spend more time with the Prince and leave with something more valuable. Though he wasn’t sure why ‘spending time with the Prince’ popped into his head, maybe this was a good idea.

“Oh,” the Prince said, and his expression didn’t change. Kaoru was scared he was about to be tortured or publicly executed for a crime like this, for trespassing and attempted theft; but the Prince continued speaking, “My name is Adonis Otogari, thank you for committing to serving me.” He smiled so genuinely, not a clue in his head of Kaoru’s true intentions, “May I have your name?” It seemed reasonable for his family to hire a personal bodyguard in their absence. He even had his own weapon too, Adonis noticed a blade in Kaoru’s belt.

“Kaoru… Hakaze,” the thief replied, taking a deep breath. He mentally cursed himself afterward, now the Prince knew his face and his real name, he was absolutely dead if something went wrong.

“Hakaze, thank you, I’m in your care,” Adonis pushed aside the canopy, meeting Kaoru’s eyes directly. Something about the eye contact made Kaoru’s face flush, but he told himself it was because of the high tension situation.

Kaoru lowered himself to the Prince, trying to act in character, “Your Majesty,” he spoke, “thank you for letting me serve you.” It burned his throat to commit to someone else. Kaoru Hakaze worked alone, but this was the situation he put himself in.

Adonis smiled at him again, that genuine innocent smile. “Hakaze,” he began, leaning against his many pillows, “I am a light sleeper, just keep that in mind.” Adonis yawned, stretching his arms until they hit the wall behind him, “I’d like to go back to sleep. Sleep is important for your health.”

“R-Right,” Kaoru dumbly responded. He felt like he was sealed in this room with Adonis, probably the only person that would believe his lie. He couldn’t run away either, the boy surely had the power to search the city and find him if he were to escape. “Do you mind if I stay for the nap? You never know if someone might try and enter through your balcony, right? I’m your personal bodyguard after all.”

Adonis nodded, “I’d prefer if you stayed, thank you.”

Kaoru was absolutely 100% certain this would all bite him in the ass later, but this is all working out now, and Adonis isn’t questioning any of it. 

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” Adonis said quietly. Kaoru sat at his bedside, not really sure if it was appropriate to sit elsewhere, or guard the door, or what. The bed felt plush, and he was kind of jealous, he’d never slept somewhere this comfortable before. “The chair...” Adonis mumbled, rolling his face into a pillow, “... but this is fine too… Hakaze.”

Shit, Adonis totally wanted him to sit in a chair. Kaoru had no idea how bodyguards act, he cursed himself for being so casual. It’d be weird to move now though, since Adonis already said this was okay. Adonis’s hands touched his own once more, and Kaoru tensed up. He felt the other boy hold his right hand in two of his own, rubbing at his palm with his thumbs, and exploring the length of his fingers. Kaoru looked away, cheeks tinted pink as he cleared his throat.

“I touched them earlier, your hands are rough.” Adonis states, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Hakaze, were you always a bodyguard?”

Kaoru could tell the truth, say he was a thief, assume a new life; but none of that occurred to him, and he lied through his teeth once more, “I did a lot of manual labor when I was younger. I worked with animals.”

“Oh,” Adonis replied, thinking it over, “That sounds difficult, I hope you didn’t have to work too hard to take care of your family.” He rolled on his side, looking up at Kaoru’s turned-away face, “I always become sad when I see beggars or weak people who cannot care for themselves, I wonder if their families are okay.”

Kaoru fought the urge to scoff, to assume the Prince was telling some kind of sob story to make himself seem human. He also fought back the urge to slap the pity back in his face, switching the topic instead, “I don’t have a family yet, I’m only 19, it’s just my sister and I.”

“I have three sisters as well,” Adonis stated. He was still running his hands over Kaoru’s own; they’re about the same size as his, but he can tell Kaoru has worked harder than he could ever dream of. “I think you’re a good man Hakaze, only a good man would take care of his sister like that.”

Kaoru can’t tell if that makes him feel shitty or smug. He wanted to scoff at how Adonis absolutely and undeniably believed him, considering nearly everything he’s told him,  _ ‘save for my name, I think?’ _ Kaoru wonders, had been a lie.

“I really do feel tired from being woken up,” Adonis says, half of it muffled into a pillow, “Can you wake me once dinner is prepared?”

“Of course Your Majesty,” Kaoru complied, slowly getting used to the sick feeling on his tongue from addressing someone so much higher up than himself. He stayed on Adonis’s bed, even after the other boy had fallen asleep. The Prince looked so peaceful, it seemed like royalty really didn’t have anything to worry about. He was kind of envious. Adonis’s chest calmly rose and fell with every breath, and he was even drooling on his pillow a bit. 

Adonis’s grip on his hand had softened, and Kaoru lightly pried his hand out of the other boy’s. He traced over Adonis’s knuckles with a fingertip. The Prince’s skin was soft, like he regularly used some kind of oil or cream to stay that way. 

“I can’t believe I’m here,” Kaoru murmured, absentmindedly running his fingers over Adonis’s hand. He traced his way up Adonis’s arms, noting the muscles. He made it here, got caught, and somehow gained the Prince’s trust all in one fell swoop. All because he just wanted some jewelry. Kaoru figured he could still steal things, come out on top amidst his failure, but it would be difficult. Granted, it would be easier because no one would question his presence, but it would also be harder because he quite literally works for the palace. The safest course of action would be to live as a bodyguard, at least for now. His sister was probably okay, she could make due for another few days without him; but Kaoru was worried about what would happen to her if he couldn’t get home. How often would be able to leave? How would he be able to get her food?

Whilst contemplating how much he may have royally fucked up his life, the door opened, and a  _ real  _ guard entered the room. Kaoru’s heart beat a mile a minute; the Prince may have been gullible, but he wasn’t sure he could take on anyone else. He found himself clutching the younger boy’s wrist with anxiety.

“Who are you?” the real guard asked, raising his blade to Kaoru.

_ ‘I… I can’t lie my way out of this,’ _ Kaoru thought in a panic. While mentally devising an attack plan, Adonis awoke once more from the commotion. He moved his hands, rubbing at his own eyes as he wearily looked at the palace guard. Ever so calmly (Kaoru was absolutely certain Prince Otogari only had one mood, and that was calm), he addressed the guard, “I thought I told you all I was taking a nap.”

“Yes, well!” the guard began, pointing to Kaoru with his blade, “We are aware! We heard voices coming from your room, and decided your safety was more important.” He was glaring daggers at Kaoru, not taking his eyes off him for a second.

The blond was terrified. It took everything in him not to shrink back into the bed, to lean on Adonis’s tangled blankets and limbs to add some distance between him and the guard.  _ ‘I’m going to die from this, I’m totally going to die,’ _ he panicked.

Fortunately, the Prince’s sheets didn’t get dyed with Kaoru’s blood, Adonis spoke again, “I was speaking to Hakaze, lower your blade.” The guard complied reluctantly. “Are you telling me that you haven’t heard of Hakaze?” Adonis asked, surprised and disappointed that a member of the guard was unaware. He continued lecturing the guard, “It is your responsibility to remain aware of these things. Imagine if I had not been here, you could have harmed an innocent man. Please take your job more seriously or I will have to relieve you of it.” 

Kaoru’s breath caught in his throat; Adonis seriously just threatened this guys job over a misunderstanding. Granted, Kaoru wasn’t a real guard, so there was no way the real guard could have known about him, but Adonis held some scary power. Evidently he wasn’t afraid to use it either.

The guard’s stance immediately changed, his back was straight and his blade was at his side. He was very apologetic, “I am extremely sorry Your Majesty, I will not let such a mistake happen again! Arrangements for Hakaze will be made immediately, I see he doesn’t have his uniform yet, would you like us to bring you one?”

Adonis shook his head, “No, Hakaze seems perfectly content in what he is wearing. Personal bodyguards are not required to wear uniforms.” Kaoru nodded along too, that made sense. If he ever went out with Adonis he would have to lay low, and not give the outward appearance of a guard.

“I-If I may make a suggestion!” The guard began, metaphorical tail between his legs, “Perhaps wearing the uniform for the first week would help avoid situations like this in the future.”

“You may not make a suggestion,” Adonis shot him down, “As I said, Hakaze appears content in his current state of dress. It is not his responsibility to make sure that other guards do not attack him. It is  _ your  _ responsibility to remain aware of who is a guard and who is not.”

Kaoru shivered, it was kind of chilling hearing the gullible good-natured boy of ten minutes ago say these kinds of things. Royalty was truly a force to be reckoned with. Kaoru found himself thinking it was kind of attractive; in the totally straight way that he would want to see one of the Princesses like this of course.

“A-Apologies Your Majesty, I will take my leave!”

“Please,” Adonis dismissed him, if not before reminding him to reevaluate his attitude towards higher-ups. It took Kaoru a second, but he realized he would be a higher up if he was the Prince’s personal guard. Scary.

The guard left and Adonis returned to sleep, finally uninterrupted. Adonis calmly slept beside him, occasionally murmuring or pushing covers away in his sleep. Kaoru couldn’t believe how all of this happened, he half expected the guard to see through the lie and come back and execute him. But no, now Kaoru had a job and a room and full access to everything in the palace and he couldn’t believe it. Especially considering he felt like he was about to get killed today at least a dozen times for a dozen different reasons.

The thief couldn’t help but wonder if he should go along with it, after all, it’s not everyday that you get an opportunity like this. He could ascend to higher living (yes, palace barracks were definitely higher living), or he could use it to pull off an even bigger heist. With access to nearly every part of the palace, so many things felt possible. He just had to keep up the lie, and act like he truly was intended to be the bodyguard to this gullible, yet good looking, Prince.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It felt nice, definitely a good decision on Adonis’s part. Kaoru’s lips were soft and their noses bumped, but overall it was a good experience that he definitely wouldn’t mind doing again with Kaoru (or with some other guy, Kaoru is straight after all!)  
> Right. Kaoru is straight.  
> Kaoru is straight.

Kaoru’s first night in the barracks went off without a hitch. Some of the other guards even seemed scared of him; maybe a rumor went out after Adonis almost threatened that other guard’s job yesterday. Either way, Kaoru wasn’t complaining. As long as people stayed out of his way, he didn’t have to worry about keeping up this ridiculous lie.

Though that “lie” was slowly feeling like less of a lie; sure the acquisition of the position was totally unintended, but all things considered, Kaoru kind of felt like a real guard now. He had palace keys, the family crest, and evidently the respect (or fear, but to him they were the same thing) of all the other guards.

Kaoru headed up to Adonis’s room to start his day, he assumed that’s what he should be doing at this hour. Last night he slept well, passing out almost immediately upon seeing a place to sleep. He awoke to the chatter of various other guards, internal clock be damned. Apparently one of the Princesses, Adonis’s sister, was thinking of picking out a husband. That was the hot morning gossip as Kaoru ate his bread and put his clothes back on. 

“Good morning Your Majesty,” Kaoru called out after opening the door to Adonis’s room. His voice echoed because of the high ceiling, and it startled him a bit, but Adonis didn’t seem to care. 

“Good morning Hakaze.” The Prince was still in his nightclothes, essentially a very baggy pair of pants, stretching atop a mat on the floor. His legs were spread wide, but he was able to lean forward and touch his toes with ease. Kaoru could see his back flex as he breathed in and out; Adonis was in very good shape. The purple haired boy let his chest touch the floor between his legs ( _ ‘How!?’ _ Kaoru wondered), turning his head to meet Kaoru’s gaze, “Would you care to join me?”

Kaoru laughed, “Join you? I’m not so sure about that.” Though it was hard to refuse when Adonis procured another mat for him, laying it beside his own.

“Keeping your body in shape is very important, wouldn’t you agree Hakaze?” Adonis asked, getting back into position. Now he sat with his legs extended in front of him, effortlessly stretching to grasp his feet. “You’re lean,” Adonis added, clearly sizing Kaoru up, “But I’m sure you are very powerful.”

Kaoru wasn’t sure he liked Adonis staring at him like that, judging his arms or whatever the hell he was looking for. “Naturally,” Kaoru began, “As a bodyguard, this type of thing is very...” Kaoru leaned forward, matching Adonis’s movements, “... _ Important _ .” He could barely touch his toes with the tips of his fingers, taking deep breaths as Adonis looked on at his pathetic display. He wasn’t weak, he could lift heavy things as needed, or climb through windows, but he never explicitly did any exercising for  _ fun _ . It was all on-the-job training, to put it kindly.

“Wow,” Adonis sounded surprised, “You wouldn’t expect that from a bodyguard,” he bluntly stated.

_ ‘This is it,’  _ Kaoru thought, resigning himself to his fate,  _ ‘He’s going to know I’m not a real bodyguard, all because I can’t touch my fucking toes. Nice going Kaoru.’  _ As if preparing an excuse, he stuttered, “Y-Yeah, well...”

But no excuse was made. Adonis moved behind him, gentle hands guiding Kaoru’s back forward, helping him out. “You must be very skilled in other areas then, for everyone to overlook this inability,” Adonis smiled, voice completely genuine and full of kindness.

“My… My...” Kaoru began, wondering how to sass him back for that backhanded compliment. Before he knew it he was touching his toes and he felt Adonis’s soft grip on his shoulder blades. Kaoru found himself thinking that Adonis would probably be pretty good at shoulder massages, all that controlled strength in his hands, but it would be pretty weird for a bodyguard to ask the Prince for a massage.  _ ‘It would be weird to ask a guy for a massage in general,’ _ he corrected himself.

Many failed stretches later, the pair finally left Adonis’s room. They went on a tour of the palace, Kaoru at Adonis’s side. Various guards would bow at them as they passed through the halls, it felt a little weird. Kaoru wondered if he should be bowing to Adonis too, but wasn’t too keen on the idea.

Adonis showed him where his parents and sisters rooms were, where the library was, locations of the kitchen, dining room, and other rooms Kaoru didn’t even think it was practical to have. There was a bit of an awkward silence, so Kaoru figured he could fill it with a new bit of information he learned about Adonis’s family.

“I hear one of your sisters is thinking of getting married?” Kaoru asked, filling the void with conversation. Adonis didn’t seem very good at talking, he’d have to get used to this. “Don’t you think they’re kind of young?” he added. In truth, he had no idea how old the Princesses were; but telling girls they seemed young was generally a compliment, so even if he was wrong, it wouldn’t be like he said something rude, and if he was right, then he got to look smart.

“You know, they’re older than I am?”

Oops.

“But I understand why you’d say that. They look very youthful, don’t they?” Adonis laughed, moving a tuft of purple hair out of his face.

Saved. “Yeah, they really do,” Kaoru replied, “I never would have known.” That made Kaoru kind of curious how old Adonis was. He was definitely younger than himself, or maybe royalty just looked youthful because they could afford sit on their asses all day. “Anyway,” Kaoru switched the topic, “Are you planning to get married soon too? Something about keeping royalty going or whatever.” Kaoru realized mid-sentence that he had no fucking idea what he was talking about. Maybe he should shut up if he didn’t want to blow his cover.

Adonis didn’t seem to care though, “My sisters are taking that responsibility.”

Kaoru didn’t really get it, he was sure it was the Prince’s deal to marry someone and then get their kingdom or whatever. But then again, he also had  _ no idea _ what he was talking about. “Why not?” Kaoru asked, “You’re a catch you know.”

“A catch?” Adonis repeated, faint flush on his cheeks at the words. “I apologize Hakaze, all of this is regarding private family matters that no one can know.”

Now Kaoru was just  _ curious _ . Did the family have some kind of big secret? Is their royalty a farce? Is someone else pulling the strings here? This sounded like  _ valuable  _ information; not that he’d use it for anything. Yet. 

Kaoru started with a simple question, a starting point in learning some important information, “Your Majesty, can you tell me the secret?”

“No,” Adonis didn’t seem like he would budge on the matter. “My apologizes Hakaze, it is private.”

But Kaoru was  _ really  _ curious, it had to be big if a softie like Adonis wouldn’t tell him. “Hmm, okay,” Kaoru said in mock agreement, “Though… I’m your bodyguard. If it could harm you, then I should know, right?” he asked, smooth-talking his way into Adonis’s head.

The Prince seemed lost in thought, steps coming slower as he tried to meet Kaoru’s pace. He couldn’t find fault with that. Adonis stopped, looking both ways like a kid with a secret. There were people around, so he hushed his voice to a whisper, “Let’s go back to my room.”

Kaoru followed the Prince back to his room, trying to memorize the winding hallways and passages they took. Perhaps it was a bit much to take in on his first full day of being a bodyguard.

Once back at Adonis’s room, he followed the other boy to his bed. They sat with their legs crossed on the sheets, canopy draped down as if it would provide any kind of barrier to hold his secret in.

After sufficiently feeling like two boys in a ‘No Girls Allowed’ fort, Kaoru leaned close, “So what’s the secret?” tacking on a, “Your Majesty,” at the end for posterity; though this didn’t seem like a formal affair.

Adonis was looking down, fiddling with his hands nervously. After a moment of silence, he spilled it: “I’m not interested in marrying a woman.”

Kaoru pat him on the back, as if they were friends drinking at a bar, “So what?” he laughed, “Being single is great, I totally understand you!” he replied, clearly finding more fault with the word  _ marry  _ than the word  _ woman _ . “What's the rest of the secret though? Is there really that much pressure to marry?” Kaoru went on, and Adonis stayed uncomfortably silent. 

Adonis felt the blood rush to his face, weakly murmuring, “That’s not it...” but Kaoru kept speaking. 

“It’s okay like, I’m sure you’ll find the right girl. And even if she’s not right, just marry her anyway and have kids, isn’t that what royalty is all about anyway?” The blond was only aware that the other boy wasn’t replying as Adonis sat stiff, bed unmoving underneath him as he wordlessly stared at his hands on his lap. 

Kaoru felt Adonis’s hands on his shoulders, with a grip much different than he had this morning. Fingers dug into his shoulder blade, definitely getting Kaoru’s attention. It felt weirdly intimate, and Kaoru shut up.

“You are getting the wrong idea Hakaze,” Adonis leveled his voice, “I am interested in men.”

_ ‘Right! Gay people exist!’  _ Kaoru reminded himself, “So like, do you have a male partner… or whatever your people call it?” This was kind of a weird conversation to be having in hushed whispers. On a bed. So close to another dude.

But this was definitely a juicy secret.

Adonis hushed him, finger to Kaoru’s lips, “I  _ can’t _ ,” he whispered, “It would ruin our public image.”

Kaoru couldn’t help but feel  _ something _ . Even a slight pain in his chest at how Adonis said  _ ‘can’t’ _ . It sounded uncharacteristically hopeless, especially for someone who has everything. So the Prince was human too. 

He still wasn’t quite following though, “So if you don’t have a  _ partner _ ...” the word  _ partner  _ felt weird to say, Kaoru’d never spoken to a gay person before, “Then how do you know you’re gay?”

“Hakaze,” Adonis plainly stated, “I prefer men. That is how I know.”

“Yeah, but...”Kaoru put his hand out with a flourish for emphasis, “If you never kiss a girl then how will you know? Girls are great.”

“Hakaze...” Adonis didn’t really know what to say to that. Kaoru wasn’t getting it. It was slightly frustrating; the only way he would ever be within proximity to kiss a girl is if the marriage was already arranged, and by then it would be too late.

“Like,” Kaoru continued, oblivious to his place in the royal hierarchy, and his place in the conversation in general, “You haven’t kissed a man either, right? So how do you really know? That’s what I don’t get.”

Adonis just looked at him dumbly, like he really  _ really  _ wanted Kaoru to stop talking. Kaoru had been out in the world, so maybe he knew what he was talking about, but Adonis couldn’t shake the feeling he was being made fun of? Why didn’t Kaoru get it? Why did he have to kiss a guy or a girl to know if he liked one or the other? With slight frustration and a weird little impulse in his chest guiding him, he did the unthinkable and met Kaoru’s lips in a kiss. He just wanted to prove his point, that he  _ did  _ want to kiss guys. 

It felt nice, definitely a good decision on Adonis’s part. Kaoru’s lips were soft and their noses bumped, but overall it was a good experience that he definitely wouldn’t mind doing again with Kaoru (or with some other guy, Kaoru is straight after all!)

Right. Kaoru is straight.

Kaoru is straight.

The adrenaline of the argument (could it even be called that? In hindsight Adonis realized it probably wasn’t  _ that  _ big of a deal) was wearing off, their lips parted, and Adonis was totally faced with the fact that he just kissed his bodyguard.

Kaoru was speechless, wiping his lips on the back of his hand and looking at Adonis curiously. Though this wasn’t a kind of curiosity filled with wonderment, it was more like  _ ‘What the hell just happened?’ _

When Adonis found his breath, he couldn’t help but apologize. He let go of Kaoru’s shoulders, arms weakly falling to his side as he uttered an “I’m sorry.” He didn’t really know what to say other than that. Kaoru was here, and in Adonis’s mind he pledged his life to protect him, “I apologize,” Kaoru met his eyes but said nothing, “I shouldn’t be taking advantage of you. You are here to protect me. I treated you as if you were a possession and used you to prove a point.” Ultimately yes, as predicted, Adonis did quite enjoy kissing a man; but it probably wasn’t appropriate to say so at this very moment.

Kaoru let out a weak exhale, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. All things considered, he was probably the least taken advantage of in this scenario. So what if he got kissed by a  _ dude _ ; that’s kind of gross, but he was only here in the first place because he’s a slimeball who could lie his way through anything. He figured the kiss could be attributed to karma.

Kaoru was still working out what happened in his head, but the real scary matter at hand was that Kaoru found himself… not completely… disliking that.  As gross as it was.

And he wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

_ ‘It was probably just the rush of the situation,’ _ Kaoru figured. He just kissed this beautiful man on his bed, and it’s only natural that he’s having a bit of a time trying to process all that. He kind of wanted to kiss Adonis again, just to be sure of course, but he knew he couldn’t get away with asking such a thing. He also wanted to slap himself for the thought.  _ ‘Kaoru! No more kissing dudes,’ _ he mentally reprimanded himself,  _ ‘That is off limits.’  _ The blond had to look away from Adonis’s apologetic face, his inviting lips. Kaoru watched a lone drop of sweat drip from his neck to his chest, Adonis must have been so nervous too.

Kaoru still hadn’t said anything aloud, and Adonis felt like he let him down. Adonis got off the bed, letting the canopy drape down behind him, “Let’s just… please forget about this,” he tried to compromise, “Hakaze, please forget this happened.” 

That was nice to hear, but Kaoru couldn’t forget. The memory of the kiss was already tugging at his brain, and his mind was assaulting itself with a torrent of  _ ‘Why did you like that?’ _ ,  _ ‘Stop thinking about that!’ _ , or  _ ‘The more you think about it, the weirder it gets!’  _ It was fucked up, he already had to keep up this absurd lie of being a thief turned bodyguard, but now he had to deal with whatever  _ this  _ is.

* * *

The rest of the day was awkward as hell. Kaoru hung around Adonis, because he had to, only parting for meals. There were many guards present in the dining area, so he could afford to leave Adonis alone for that time. Kaoru ate with the rest of the guards, though most of them still avoided him like the plague; there was almost always an empty seat next to him at the long table they all shared.

Lunch was quiet, and dinner was expected to be no different, so Kaoru was a little surprised as another man, probably around his age, took the seat next to him. Kaoru tried to get a glimpse of him out of the corner of his eye, but it was difficult, he didn’t want to be too obvious. The other man had long dark hair, and it managed to cascade down past his cheeks as he faced his bowl to eat. Every now and then he would turn his head to look at the man next to him, evidently deep in some kind of conversation. 

Another weird thing: he had a tomato. A whole fresh tomato. And he was eating it like it was an apple.

This dark haired man didn’t attempt to make conversation, but Kaoru felt his eyes on him. 

He felt like he was being watched.

* * *

After dinner Kaoru returned to Adonis’s quarters. The other boy seemed to be covered in animal hair for some odd reason, white hairs visible against the deep purple of his clothing.

“Your Majesty,” Kaoru greeted him.

“Hakaze,” Adonis replied, clearly not a man of many words.

Somewhere in the back of Kaoru’s mind he was still thinking about that kiss earlier. Was Adonis thinking about it too? He was a little relieved when Adonis spoke up and broke his thought pattern.

“I’m going to the bath now, then I think I’ll go to bed.”

Kaoru nodded, trailing behind Adonis as they walked through the hallways; his own gay thoughts trailing after him. Neither of them spoke. Maybe this is what it’s supposed to be like, being a bodyguard.

The bathroom was covered in marble and gold. At least, Kaoru thought it was marble. It was the only high-end rock he knew. --And that had to be real gold. There was a decorative divider on one side of the bath, Kaoru waited by the door as Adonis disrobed behind it, hidden from his view. That was definitely for the better.

Once the bath was run and Adonis was in it (Kaoru could tell by a long pleased sigh from the other side of the divider), the other boy made idle conversation. Kaoru was almost surprised to hear him speak, it wasn’t often that he initiated things.

“Hakaze...” he began, slowly tending to each syllable as if he thought them out long in advance, “You mentioned having a sister?” 

“I did,” Kaoru replied, not quite sure where this was going.

“Now that you’re here, is she living alone?”

“Yes,” Kaoru answered again. Thinking about that made him a little upset. He didn’t really get where Adonis was going with this.

“If,” there was a splash from the bath, Adonis probably brought his hands up from the water, “If she would like to stay in a room at the palace, I am sure there would be no complaints. I don’t think the barracks are any place for a frail woman...” Truth be told, this was on his mind since Kaoru mentioned living with his sister. Adonis still felt really bad about the kiss earlier, so no time like the present to bring it up. He didn’t know much about Kaoru’s family situation, but Kaoru made his sister sound small, and in need of protection.

Needless to say, Kaoru was shocked. 

“E-Excuse me?”

“I said,” Adonis began, and many wet noises were heard as he raised himself out of the bath. He even peeked his head and chest past the divider to make sure Kaoru could hear him, “If your sister is in need of a place to stay, now that you are here, we have many rooms that are open.” 

Kaoru heard him the first time, but he couldn’t believe Adonis said that. How could he be so generous? Why is he like this?

“That… sounds great actually, if you would,” Kaoru replied, wondering how to possibly break the news of  _ this entire situation _ to his sister, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Adonis smiled, of course everything would work out okay. 

While they were talking, Adonis continued with more that was on his mind. “Also, Hakaze, have you bathed today? Would you like to do so? You smell a little...” Adonis trailed off, realizing that honestly might not be the best way to finish that.

_ ‘I haven’t taken a bath this week, much less today,’ _ Kaoru wanted to say. The barracks probably had showers, but he didn’t really look into it. He had been too exhausted. Sleeping in his own sweat wasn’t anything new.

Having a working shower sounded kind of exciting. There might be soap, and warm water, and so many other luxuries Kaoru hardly got to experience firsthand. If Adonis’s setup right now was any indication, it would be amazing. 

“I wouldn’t mind,” Kaoru answered, “Water would probably feel nice after that stretching this morning.” He was so excited at the prospect of bathing that he didn’t even think about what Adonis was saying, already shedding his clothing and headed toward whatever awaited him on the other side of the divider.

But there was only one bathtub. Granted, it could probably fit five people, but there was only one.

Kaoru didn’t really expect that. He didn’t know what he expected, he was just excited about bathing. Already undressed, it was too late now. He settled in the water across from Adonis, sitting on a small ledge within the tub, knees up to his chest.

Was this normal? Bathing with other guys was normal, the barracks probably had rooms like this, but this felt weird.

It was probably because it was with Adonis. The Prince looked literally perfect. Kaoru had seen him shirtless before, and this was the same view, but his skin looked so smooth and unmarred; now glistening with moisture. His dark purple hair was also wet, and pushed aside so Kaoru could see his forehead. Small droplets of water dripped down his cheeks, and they hung off his eyelashes too. Kaoru, on the other hand, had a few scars; on his chest, arms, back, wherever it was possible honestly.  _ ‘As you can see,’ _ Kaoru thought with a sigh,  _ ‘I’ve made some mistakes.’ _

“Are those from animals?” Adonis innocently asked, pointing at what was once a gash in Kaoru’s arm. He got a little closer, as if he was about to touch it. As if he had  _ no idea _ of a common person’s personal boundaries.

Which might just be the case.

Kaoru forgot the lie he told Adonis when they met, about working with animals before becoming a bodyguard; so he replied, “No, just got in a few… fights.” With who? He didn’t want to say. Why? He didn’t want to say either. It wasn’t anything worth being proud of.

“I’m sorry to bring it up,” Adonis stated in genuine apology, “It doesn’t hurt now, does it?” Before Kaoru could do anything, Adonis reached out to touch it.

Kaoru was beginning to think he was onto something with the whole  _ ‘Adonis has no clue about personal boundaries’ _ idea. Royalty was weird, maybe he didn’t have any friends growing up.

Kaoru couldn’t find it in him to stop the other boy either.  _ ‘He’s touching me,’  _ Kaoru thought,  _ ‘We’re in the bath and he’s touching me. It’s just my shoulder but--’ _ Guys don’t do this, right? Was the Prince coming onto him again? _ ‘No,’  _ Kaoru corrected himself,  _ ‘He wasn’t coming onto me the first time.’ _

His self control was wearing away as he felt Adonis’s slippery fingers on his dirty shoulder. Bodyguard/Prince relationship be damned, this isn’t normal, right?

Kaoru went for it this time, locking lips with the Prince and damning his gay thoughts for making it happen. Kaoru swore Adonis had to have some ulterior motive, inviting him into the bath like that.

\--But what if he didn’t? What if he was just a  _ nice guy _ ? He did offer to house his sister out of the goodness of his heart. Then he remembered how Adonis threatened to fire that other guard the other day. Kaoru might have just lost his job over some gay thoughts; it was entirely possible, and he would never know until their lips parted.

The moment of truth.

Adonis blinked, a faint tint to his cheeks because of the steam of the bath. “Excuse me…? Thank you? --But, excuse me?” he questioned, touching his fingertips to his lips.

For one of the first times, Kaoru was honest: “I couldn’t stop thinking about that after what you did earlier.”

“Oh,” Adonis sighed, “I apologize again. Would you like to talk about it?” He felt responsible, like he must have really upset Kaoru if he couldn’t stop thinking about it. He thought it was his fault. Guilt overcame him for confusing Kaoru over all this.

Kaoru didn’t really know what could be talked about. For starters, he was really ashamed for enjoying it a second time. He didn’t want to enjoy Adonis’s lips on his own. He didn’t  _ want  _ to enjoy how they were slick with a little bit of saliva, like Adonis licked them beforehand; but he enjoyed that too. 

He’d also probably be killed if anyone saw them doing this, but that was an afterthought.

The bath ended as it began, in silence. Neither boy was upset at the other, but they each felt like they were in an uncomfortable position. Adonis grew up sheltered, clearly never having the opportunity to do things like this. It was confusing to him, but also kind of exciting. Kaoru was his first kiss, and that was clear as day to both of them. Kaoru, on the other hand, was no stranger to activities like this. He wasn’t sure why he was so excited by it when it was with a guy, but deep down he wasn’t as opposed to it as Adonis may have thought.

The pair returned to Adonis’s lavish bedroom after bathing. In a daring gesture, Adonis kissed Kaoru goodnight. The novelty of kissing hadn’t worn off yet, and he found himself pecking Kaoru’s lips as he sat on his bed, the other boy leaning down and standing at his bedside. It felt all too innocent, and that almost brought a smile to Kaoru’s face.

Standing wasn’t comfortable, so Kaoru sat beside him on the bed. He ran his hands through Adonis’s hair and over his shoulders, feeling the boy’s body devoid of jewelry. Adonis felt something in his chest as the bed dipped with Kaoru’s weight. His bodyguard had been with him on the bed before (weirdly enough) but it felt different than when he accompanied him through his nap, or when he told him secrets beneath the canopy that hid nothing. A tingle went down his spine as Kaoru’s tongue prodded at his lips, curious about taking things to the next step. 

Adonis wasn’t really sure how he felt about the next step. The tongue-in-mouth step. He’d never done it before, and Kaoru had never done it before with a guy. Though thankfully(?) Kaoru ended up pushing him away, quiet voice out of breath against his lips, “I… have to go to the barracks. Your Majesty” Boy did it feel weird following that up with a ‘Your Majesty’. Adding the title felt second nature by now, if only out of habit, but it didn’t feel natural at a time like this. 

Kaoru straightened out his clothing, smoothing out his hair for Adonis to see. In the darkness he could see the other boy frown, almost disappointed.

“You’re right. I don’t want to keep you,” Adonis uttered regardless. He stopped Kaoru again as he turned his back, “I am sorry… Once more, I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you.” Kaoru nodded, “If you would like me to stop, I will.” Adonis felt selfish, like he was using his bodyguard like a toy. He was grateful to have Kaoru here; he couldn’t help that Kaoru was incredibly receptive to being kissed.

“Yeah,” Kaoru replied casually, “Likewise.” Kaoru never had the demeanor of a proper guard to begin with, so of course something would go wrong. Though, he didn’t expect (a  _ day  _ into his new job) he would be low-key hooking up with the Prince.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i gotta gay


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I would like assistance with something,” Adonis began, hoping that Natsume wasn’t very busy. He would hate to inconvenience him with something so trivial. “You have access to many records, do you not? Maybe even some regarding townspeople.”
> 
> “I do...” Natsume wondered where Adonis was going with this. It was unlike him to be concerned with these matters, maybe he was preparing to finally step up to the throne.
> 
> Adonis awkwardly sidestepped between tables and chairs, moving into Natsume’s little book circle. “I would appreciate your help, I’d like to know if you have any records about a Kaoru Hakaze.” He humbly bowed to Natsume, “If you have any free time, it would be a big help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and now we meet the palace's 5 oddballs...

Adonis was interested in Kaoru, maybe moreso than a Prince should be in his bodyguard. He wanted to know more about Kaoru, but the other boy was always so private! If Adonis asked him something he would answer, but quickly change the subject. Adonis never really had any friends growing up, so maybe this was just how conversation worked.

Conversation skills aside, Adonis still was very curious. He found himself sneaking (was it really sneaking if you lived there?) into the library in the early hours of the morning. The palace library was vast, bookcases so high that Adonis wondered how people even got books up there. There were also standing bookcases throughout the room, with tables and chairs uniformly aligned beside them. After going up a set of stairs within the library, Adonis found an area with furniture messily pushed aside; the palace’s head scholar was there as usual, sitting on the floor (where a table should be) surrounded by books of varying sizes.

“Good morning Natsume,” Adonis waved, “You are up quite early.”

Natsume removed a small set of spectacles, marking his place in the book with his finger and turning his head to face Adonis, “I am always up as the sun  _ rises _ . Good morning Your  _ Majesty _ .”

“That’s good to hear. It’s not healthy to make a habit of sleeping in,” Adonis replied, waiting for the smalltalk to end so he could address the matter at hand.

“I would not get any work done if I  _ did _ . Anyway, what brings you to me  _ today _ ?” It wasn’t often that Adonis visited him. If Natsume saw any of the Otogaris, it was usually his mother or father.

“I would like assistance with something,” Adonis began, hoping that Natsume wasn’t very busy. He would hate to inconvenience him with something so trivial. “You have access to many records, do you not? Maybe even some regarding townspeople.”

“I  _ do _ ...” Natsume wondered where Adonis was going with this. It was unlike him to be concerned with these matters, maybe he was preparing to finally step up to the throne.

Adonis awkwardly sidestepped between tables and chairs, moving into Natsume’s little book circle. “I would appreciate your help, I’d like to know if you have any records about a Kaoru Hakaze.” He humbly bowed to Natsume, “If you have any free time, it would be a big help.”

“Sure...” Natsume agreed, unaccustomed to the Prince’s politeness. Where the Otogari siblings were concerned, he was used to the brashness of his sisters. “How do you spell  _ it _ ?”

“Ah...” Adonis had no idea. He never asked Kaoru to write his name before. He could always do it today, but he wouldn’t be able to get it to Natsume until nighttime. “I’m not sure how it is spelled,” he frowned, “Is that going to be an issue?”

Natsume sighed, twirling a pen between his fingers. “It would be easier if you knew, but I’ll try  _ anyway _ . Let me know if you find out the  _ spelling _ .”

“I can do that, thank you for your help Natsume.”

“Come back tonight or tomorrow, I’ll let you know if I find  _ anything _ .”

“Understood, have a nice day.” Adonis waved goodbye, but the other boy already had his nose in a book, and he didn’t even notice.

* * *

Adonis was back in his room when Kaoru arrived. He brought a book with him from the library, and was currently sitting in a chair reading it. On his face was a pair of small round golden spectacles; they looked a bit out of place to Kaoru, who was only used to seeing the Prince for his strength. The glasses were uncharacteristically dainty, and they made Adonis’s face look quite delicate.

“Good morning Your Majesty,” Kaoru said, interrupting Adonis from his book, “Are you reading something?”

“Yes, good morning Hakaze,” Adonis replied, turning away from his desk to see Kaoru. “This is a book I got from one of the scholars, though I’m having some trouble with it,” he sheepishly admitted, “I’m considering bringing it back to him. Reading is difficult, isn’t it? I was always given tutoring, but there are still so many things that I do not know.”

“Ah,” Kaoru found himself rubbing the back of his neck, “Reading is difficult, you’re right.” He laughed a bit, “Definitely.”

Kaoru was illiterate.

Adonis closed his book, marking his place with a bookmark. He gently set down his glasses as well. “By the way, Hakaze,“ Adonis began, procuring a piece of paper and an ink pen, “Could you write your name for me?” He hoped Kaoru wouldn’t ask why. He didn’t know if he had it in him to fib.

“S-Sure...” Kaoru hesitated as he took a step forward. He could write his own name, right? Even if he messed up, Adonis may not know it was  _ wrong _ . He leaned over Adonis’s desk, ink pen in one hand as he wrote his name, saying it aloud as he did, “Kaoru… Hakaze… That should be it.” Looking down at his chickenscratch he was hit with uncertainty, did that letter belong there? 

“Wait, that’s not it.” Kaoru held the paper as Adonis reached for it. Using the last of his brainpower, he came up with another spelling, “This time… Kaoru… Hakaze,” he repeated again, changing the order of two of the letters.

“Oh...” Adonis sounded intrigued, “Is that it? I assumed it would be something like this...” He wrote Kaoru’s name, correctly this time.

_ ‘Shit,’ _ Kaoru thought to himself,  _ ‘That one looks right too…’  _ He sighed, a sigh of defeat, “I’m not very good at writing.”

“That’s alright,” Adonis reassured him, “This isn’t for anything official, I just wanted to know.”

“Of course Your Majesty.” Kaoru wondered why Adonis cared, but whatever. He kind of wished he could keep the piece of paper with Adonis’s handwriting on it, just incase someone else asked how to spell his name. “Anyway, do you have any plans for the day?”

“No, I have none,” Adonis replied, “I just want to walk around a bit. Would you like to see the animals we keep here?” Adonis figured that Kaoru used to work with animals, so he might enjoy that.

“Sounds g--” Adonis got up from his chair, kissing Kaoru on the lips before he could finish his reply.

“Good,” Adonis smiled innocently, “Let me show you the way.”

The animals lived just past the garden; though going through the garden, Kaoru couldn’t help but find something amiss. It looked like a relatively normal garden, but there was a large black tarp over a section of it, held up by stakes.

“Is the sun bad for those plants?” Kaoru didn’t know shit about gardening, but it was strange enough that he wanted to know.

“No,” Adonis replied, pointing to the black fabric, “Are you talking about that? That is for the gardener, not the plants.” 

It’s true, the gardener was underneath it. He was wearing a black hooded cloak, which seemed weird in such hot weather, but otherwise seemed to be doing his duties as a gardener. 

“He doesn’t like the sun,” Adonis added, “I think he moves the tarp as he works, then takes it down when the work is complete.”

“That’s bizarre, why would you become a gardener if you hate the light?” Kaoru sighed, watching the strange cloaked man do his work. As they passed by him he removed his hood to greet the Prince. Contrary to Kaoru’s mental image of him, the gardener didn’t look like an old man with skin problems, or an otherwise eccentric person. However, he was very pale, deep red eyes contrasting with the light tone of his skin. Dark hair also covered his shoulders, thin strands of black barely visible against his cloak.

_ ‘Fuck me,’ _ Kaoru thought,  _ ‘That’s the weird tomato guy…’ _ Kaoru made eye contact with the gardener, and it felt just as strange as sitting next to him in the barracks dining area did.

“He’s a bit strange, but he looks like he’s enjoying himself,” Adonis whispered to Kaoru as he waved to the man he called Rei. “He’s very serious about not liking sunlight, I hear he even eats in the barracks sometimes because there is no natural light down there. I hope he’s okay.”

“Yeah...” Kaoru half-assedly replied, looking over his shoulder at Rei as they passed him. He was weird, and not in a way that Kaoru could ignore. An uncomfortable weird. Eventually he became a speck in the distance, left crouching over some plants as the pair approached the animal pens.

“Mornin’ Your Majesty,” a gruff voice greeted them, “--And who the hell are you?” The animal keeper stood with his feet apart, two guard dogs looping between his legs. His hands were on his hips, and messy silver hair framed his face.

“Good morning Koga,” Adonis smiled, reaching down to pet one of the dogs. “This is Hakaze, my new bodyguard. The rest of my family is away, as you know, so he is taking care of me.”

“Kaoru Hakaze,” the blond introduced himself, not completely excited at Koga’s attitude.

Adonis chimed in again, “Hakaze used to work with animals, maybe you two have a lot in common.”

Koga’s eyes narrowed, as if he was judging the other boy, “You did? What’s your specialty?” The guard dogs even stopped at his feet, as if they too were looking to Kaoru and waiting for an answer.

Kaoru sighed, this lie always came to bite him in the ass, “Farm animals, I see you don’t have too many of those here,” he came up with on the spot. It seemed safe enough.

“You’re right I guess, though we got a few,” Koga scoffed, unwilling to ask Kaoru if he could teach him a thing or two about them. He noticed one of Adonis’s pets approaching behind Adonis and Kaoru, and he smirked, “Y’ever see anything like  _ her _ ?” Koga gestured to behind them with his chin.

“Hm?” Kaoru questioned calmly, turning around at Koga’s request to see (and  _ feel _ ) a giant white tiger rubbing her forehead against him. Kaoru let out a little scream in reaction, jumping into Adonis’s arms. Surprisingly the other boy held him up with ease, one hand on his shoulder and the other on his thigh as Adonis’s arms supported him.

“Hakaze,” Adonis said, barely audible over Koga’s laughter, “She won’t hurt you. May I put you down?” Adonis was warm, and it felt kind of nice to be held by him. Maybe he would have kissed him too, if Koga wasn’t there. Maybe.

“Oh my god, who’s the real bodyguard here?” Koga laughed, petting the tiger as she came closer. She was white with small black stripes, and Koga and Adonis weren’t the least bit intimidated by her. “Didn’t you work with animals?” the animal keeper snickered.

“Not like this!” Kaoru huffed, gently rejoining the both of them on the ground. Adonis crouched at the tiger’s side, petting her and playing with her as if she was just an oversized cat. Koga introduced Kaoru to a few of the guard dogs he was training, which were far more in his comfort zone. Koga showed him all the tricks they could do, as well as how they could attack training dummies. Kaoru shuddered to think about how  _ he  _ could have been that dummy a few days prior.

Adonis stayed with the tiger, and Koga gave Kaoru a tour of the various animal pens, dogs at their side. The dogs seemed really attracted to Koga for some reason, maybe he had treats in his pockets. 

The pair (and dogs) stopped at a pond last. Koga explained that it was man made, but still managed to have fish in it. “Sometimes the fish are served for dinner here, but it can’t be too often, or else they won’t be able to make new fish, y’ get it?” Koga explained. 

Kaoru got closer to the surface of the water, it looked pretty shallow, but as Koga said, he could make out a few fish past whatever algae or greenery was in the pond. Kaoru also noticed something kind of weird below the water’s surface; he pointed to it, “What’s that shadow? It looks too big to be a fish?”

“Huh?” Koga moved closer, trying to figure out what Kaoru was talking about. Maybe it was just a big fish? Kaoru didn’t seem like he knew anything about animals.

“Yeah, it’s--” before Kaoru could say anything, the fish surfaced. 

Though it wasn’t a fish, it looked like a young man. He had blue hair, and his face was covered in algae from the surface of the pond. He was only above the water from the nose up, and it looked like he was comfortably standing on the bottom of the pond, the rest of his short hair fanning out under the water’s surface.

This weird fish boy took Kaoru’s hand, he felt slimy, but his airy voice greeted them, “Hello.”

Kaoru didn’t know what to say, and his face was contorted in a mixture of surprise and disgust (at the slimy hand, mostly). 

“That’s Kanata,” Koga added matter-of-factly, and clearly relished in Kaoru’s stupid shocked expression.

“I am Kanata Shinkai. I live in this pond,” the strange boy introduced himself.

“Is he… human?” Kaoru whispered to Koga. This seemed like something out of a folktale.

“Yeah, definitely,” Koga whispered back.

Kaoru tilted his head, still more than a little confused, “So why are you here?” He could see Kanata’s mouth creating bubbles below the water’s surface.

“These fish are my ‘friends’,” Kanata smiled back, not really answering the question.

Kaoru looked to Koga helplessly, as if he could translate.

“Kanata just showed up one day,” Koga shrugged. “The guards were on high alert the whole damn time, it was such a pain. But I guess he’s friends with that weird ass gardener, so--”

“Yes, the one you call ‘the gardener’, Rei, is my friend.” Kanata politely interrupted.

“Yeah,” Koga affirmed, “Anyway, those two oddballs just started chattin’ up a storm in front’a all these freaked out guards. It was like,” Koga began to imitate Rei’s voice, ”He was all,  _ ‘Hello my chum’ _ and Kanata was all  _ ‘It is a pleasure to see you Rei, are you well?’ _ and it just became this pleasant fuckin’ conversation. The guards were like, whatever, I guess he’s here now.” The animal tamer shrugged, “Sometimes the Princesses talk to him, usually about fish or whatever.”

Kanata laughed at Koga’s imitations, hands clapping below the water’s surface. 

Before Kaoru could comment on how bizarre that story was, Adonis showed up. He squat down at the water’s edge, patting Kanata’s head in greeting, “Are you well?”

“Yes,” Kanata nodded, “The fish are teeming with excitement. They told me they are ready to be eaten.”

“That’s good. I’ll let the kitchen know. Is it alright if one of them comes by later?”

“Of course,” Kanata happily bubbled, “I will tell them to write their ‘wills’.”

Kaoru squinted, vision flickering between Adonis and Kanata. What the hell were they saying? Was he in some kind of alternate universe? Koga had walked away by now, he was holding a small puppy some twenty feet away.

Once Kanata went below the surface of the water (only to resurface a few feet away, so he had to breathe too) Kaoru looked at Adonis with confusion, “So what does he  _ do _ ?” Kaoru asked, wondering what benefit this fish whisperer was to the royal family.

“Hm...” Adonis pondered, Kaoru was listening attentively, “He swims in the pond, mostly.” 

“Mostly?”

“Sometimes he swims in the fountains.”

That’s ridiculous! Maybe Kaoru shouldn’t be so impressed at how easy he was able to get a job here. Kaoru also felt something soft rub at his back, and he held back a shiver as he became aware that Adonis’s tiger returned.

“She won’t hurt you Hakaze,” Adonis said gently, petting his oversized housecat of a tiger. He pat Kaoru’s head next, smoothing down his blond hair just as he did with his tiger. She started to paw at Kaoru too, treating his clothing that settled against the ground as if it were a scratching post. “Stop that,” Adonis firmly stated, and Kaoru looked to see what was wrong.

Rips in his shirt were no big deal, he didn’t pay for it after all, but Adonis seemed pretty apologetic. “It’s fine, really,” Kaoru stated, petting the tiger for emphasis.

“I’m sorry though, she is still young, I’ll bring her back to Koga and we can go to the tailor.”

“It’s fine, seriously,” Kaoru added, but Adonis was already walking over to Koga.

Oh well, it wouldn’t hurt. 

The pair walked back toward the castle, through the garden, and Kaoru noted that the strange black tarp was gone. Rei was probably done for the day, or otherwise taking a break.

That seemed to be the case, as Kaoru and Adonis ended up passing by him in the hallway.  _ ‘He’s still wearing that weird cloak,’ _ Kaoru noted. Rei was walking beside another boy, one with long silvery blue hair tied up into a ponytail, and they were having a loud conversation.

Actually, Rei was rather quiet. His friend was the loud one.

“Hello Wataru, Rei,” Adonis greeted them as he walked past. Kaoru cursed Adonis for being so cordial, he didn’t want to be in Rei’s presence longer than he had to be. Rei politely bowed his head to the Prince, while the one called Wataru lowered his body in a flourish.

“Hello Your Majesty,” Wataru beamed, “I have quite the amazing news for you!” Though he noticed Kaoru’s presence, and introduced himself to the blond, “I am this palace’s own Wataru Hibiki, a pleasure!”

As if Kaoru could possibly have worse luck, Adonis and Wataru became immersed in their conversation, leaving he and Rei idly standing to their side.

Kaoru was totally okay with saying nothing, waiting for Adonis and Wataru to finish whatever conversation they were having, and going on his merry way. Naturally, Rei had other plans, stepping a bit too close for comfort and fanning out his hand over Kaoru’s chest.

“Whoa, don’t just--”

“Fufu~ You’ll take very good care of the Prince, won’t you Kaoru?” He whispered, “There may be consequences if something happens to Prince Otogari.”

Kaoru could smell the stench of tomato in Rei’s breath, but he ignored the thinly veiled threat, a stranger thing on his mind, “How do you know my name?”

“You introduced yourself to Wataru, did you not?” Rei smiled.

“No.” Kaoru didn’t. He clearly remembered  _ not  _ introducing himself because he didn’t want to get trapped in a conversation with that weirdo.

Rei was trying to psych Kaoru out, and it was working. “Anyway,” he breathed, and Kaoru wrinkled his nose at the stench of that hideous fruit, “We must have met before then? Right?” his lips curled into a smile, as if he knew he had the upper hand, “I know you don’t play long games, so I’m almost curious as to why you’re still here. I’ll certainly be watching to find out though, so don’t mind me.” Rei whipped his cape around, covering his body as he passed by sunlight shining through an open window. Wataru ended up following after him.

Kaoru wanted to ask Adonis about the gardener, about where he came from. He wanted to know how Rei could  _ possibly  _ know of him, though he decided that whatever image Rei probably had of him wasn’t a positive one. Adonis didn’t need to be wrapped up in that. That needed to be kept as far away from Adonis as possible.

The tailor was just around the corner, and Adonis knocked at the door.

“Can’t you just go in? This is your palace,” Kaoru sighed, tapping his foot as he waited for someone to answer the door. If he were a prince he would totally abuse his power like that.

“That would be rude,” Adonis frowned, “The tailor seems to have a short temper, so I wouldn’t want to upset him.”

A short temper? Great. Kaoru didn’t particularly enjoy those kinds of people.

Eventually a very meek looking man answered the door; he opened it slightly, peeking through the opening, “Shu is very busy… I’m not sure if...”

“Nonsense Tsumugi,” A voice called out from the inside of the room, “Who is it?”

Tsumugi’s glasses clacked against the doorframe as he turned his head, “I-It’s the Prince, and another...”

“The Prince? Let him in you fool, we aren’t here to disrespect him,” Shu sighed.

“Right, I’m sorry,” Tsumugi apologized, opening the door for their guests.

Kaoru had never met a tailor before, but Shu definitely looked like one. His clothes were just as elaborate as Adonis’s, and he sat with fabric in his lap and a sewing needle in his hand. He looked like the kind of person whose resting face conveyed that he wouldn’t put up with any bullshit.

Tsumugi, on the other hand, looked like someone who was terrified to be alive. He’d probably jump at the smallest of noises. Curly dark blue hair fell to his shoulders, and his glasses were so large and thick that Kaoru thought he would be wholly unable to see without them. 

“Your Majesty,” Shu bowed his head in greeting, Tsumugi doing the same after seeing Shu do so. “And you?” he looked to Kaoru.

“Kaoru Hakaze, Prince Otogari’s new bodyguard,” he introduced himself for the umpteetnth time.

“Charmed,” Shu replied, and he looked all but charmed, “I am Shu Itsuki, the royal tailor.” He gestured to Tsumugi next, “This is Tsumugi Aoba, one of my two assistants and trainees. My other one is running errands, but he wouldn’t want to meet you anyway.”

Okay… Kaoru could see what Adonis meant about his temper now. Shu didn’t seem like a particularly fun person to be around.

“We’re here because Kaoru’s shirt is ripped, can you fix that?” Adonis asked, guiding Kaoru to turn around so he could show Shu the tear.

“Disgusting...” Shu murmured, regarding the state of the shirt and Kaoru’s fashion sense as a whole, “I’m not going to fix that garbage.” He turned up his nose, finally getting up from his table to open one of the many wardrobes in the room.

_ ‘What the hell?’  _ Kaoru wanted to say,  _ ‘How did this guy get away with being so rude? Right in front of the Prince too?’  _ Adonis was just standing there, now idly talking to Tsumugi as Shu rummaged for fabric or his next insult.

Kaoru was about to ask Adonis if they could go, they clearly weren’t getting anywhere with Shu, when the boy in question snapped his fingers to get Kaoru’s attention.

“Put this on instead. If you’re serving the Prince, you shouldn’t be looking like you came straight out of the slums,” Shu scoffed.

Kaoru was skeptical, but he took the outfit from Shu’s hands, “You know this is more than just a shirt, right?”

“I don’t care.” Shu scowled, but his generosity came through in his actions.

“Thanks then, I appreciate it.” Kaoru held the clothes in his arms, they felt very high quality, like something he could never in his wildest dreams afford.

“Yes, don’t mention it,” Shu looked to Tsumugi and Adonis, the pair were smiling and laughing over something. “What do you think of the Prince so far, you haven’t been here very long, have you?”

Kaoru kind of wondered if this was a trick question. Shu seemed gay, did he know the Prince was gay too? Was he asking for some gay intel?

Could he tell Kaoru was gay? Half gay?

“He’s… nice,” Kaoru hesitated, looking to Adonis, “His clothing is very nice.”

Shu laughed, “This isn’t an adolescent popularity contest, I wasn’t asking about his clothing, though your complement won’t go unnoticed.” He smiled, if only a little.

“He’s naive, but he means well,” Shu said under his breath, “Do take care of him.”

Kaoru nodded wordlessly, Adonis now approaching him. 

“Hakaze, would you like to change?” Adonis asked, remembering the body insecurity Kaoru displayed in the bath. He didn’t want to put him on the spot and have him undress in front of Shu and Tsumugi, “We can return to my room.”

Shu raised an eyebrow at  _ ‘my room’ _ , but otherwise bid the pair farewell.

Kaoru was almost able to guide Adonis back to his own room, only mistaking a few of the turns along the way. He was getting better at remembering the palace layout. He was even able to pick out which door led to Adonis’s room, though that was only because there were always two guards stationed outside of it.

Kaoru laid out the new outfit on an armchair. Shu had given him a cream colored sleeveless undershirt, it had fancy gold design around the neckline. There was also a dark blue short sleeved shirt to go over that, and a sash to tie it at the waist. Finally, there was a long green robe that went over all of it, with a golden pattern decorating the trim of the sleeves. That same golden motif was also on the sash. The pants were basic, the same cream color as the shirt, and resembled the ones Adonis was wearing. It looked expensive, and Kaoru didn’t really believe it was going to go on his body.

It was almost nighttime, but he at least wanted to try it on. Adonis seemed to be reading his book or something, so Kaoru changed his clothes behind him. It was strange putting on all those layers, but he looked like a completely different person in the mirror. Kaoru turned in front of Adonis’s mirror, looking at the back of the outfit. The robe reached his knees and swayed with him. Shu clearly put a lot of effort into this, Kaoru had to admit that he was very skilled.

“Hakaze,” Adonis appeared behind him, “I think I’m going to go to sleep.”

“It’s pretty early, you sure?”

“I think so,” Adonis sat on his bed, removing his earrings and placing them on the table.

“Okay, well, goodnight,” Kaoru awkwardly replied, not sure if he should make for the door. Last night Adonis had given him a kiss, but he didn’t know if that was supposed to be a habit or...

“Hakaze,” Adonis said once more, and Kaoru felt drawn to him. He found himself standing between Adonis’s legs, the Prince sitting on the edge of his bed.

Kaoru lowered the hood over Adonis’s head, mumbling, “Is this...” as he got closer to the other boy’s face. Adonis nodded, meeting his lips.

Adonis wrapped his arms around Kaoru, just intending to bring him closer, but Kaoru sat in his lap. His thighs were on either side of Adonis’s waist as he ran his hands through the other boy’s hair. It felt soft and clean between Kaoru’s fingers.

Kaoru pecked Adonis’s lips, and Adonis kissed him long and hard back. The two boys ended up on Adonis’s bed, Kaoru having pushed him toward the mattress.

“Ah… Hakaze,” Adonis gasped, Kaoru having gone above and beyond the usual, and was now kissing Adonis’s earlobe. To Adonis it felt weird, it made it face hot and it was unlike anything else. He felt a little overwhelmed as Kaoru licked the shell of his ear; all Adonis could hear was the wet noises of Kaoru’s mouth, and it was startling to all parts of his body.

Kaoru felt hands on his chest pushing him away, but the jewelry over Adonis’s abs got tangled with the trim of his sash and he didn’t make it very far. 

“Ah...” Kaoru whispered, looking to where they were connected before laughing a little, “Sorry I...”

Adonis shook his head. He was surprised, but also kind of excited. Excited because he no longer felt guilty for ‘corrupting’ Kaoru with his gay gestures. Kaoru was actively enjoying this and taking part, and Adonis had this little happy feeling in his chest because of it.

“You can remove them,” Adonis said, pointing to the jewelry.

“Are you sure?” Kaoru checked, hesitant hands undoing the golden jewelry that adorned Adonis’s stomach. It felt weird, too close to undressing another man. If he wasn’t paying attention, the tips of his fingers would just barely ghost over Adonis’s abs and he could feel the other boy tense up. It felt really intimate, though not like sex intimate, as jewelry piled up on the bedside table. Kaoru removed what made the Prince look like a ‘Prince’. Instead, he felt like ‘Adonis’ was under him now. The scarf that Adonis wore around his neck was gone too; he was still clothed, but Kaoru felt like Adonis was laid bare in front of him.

Kaoru sat up on Adonis’s waist, the other boy flat against the bed, elbows bent and hands tentatively at his shoulders. Just seeing Adonis like this made Kaoru’s chest tense up, he had to kiss him. Kaoru licked his lips and settled his forearms on either side of Adonis’s head, pressing their lips together and nibbling at Adonis’s lower lip. Adonis gasped, and Kaoru’s tongue worked its way into his mouth, guiding Adonis’s tongue and playing with it. Adonis was unpracticed, but Kaoru didn’t care, he’d show him whatever he had to.

That was all cut short when Kaoru heard one of Adonis’s breathy sighs. It went into his mouth and Kaoru could feel it ripple through his body. Their lips parted with a wet kiss, and Adonis was puzzled as he looked up at Kaoru, spit-slick lips shining in whatever meager light the candles at his desk provided.

“I have to go...” Kaoru regrettably forced out. Kissing the Prince was fun and all, but he wasn’t about to take the royal virginity, and that was certainly where he felt things going. Not today Hakaze.

“It’s getting late,” Adonis looked up at him, slightly out of breath. He looked so… un-put-together. All of his jewelry was off, his hair was a mess, and Kaoru honestly didn’t want to think about what could be going on with his pants.

“G-Goodnight Your Majesty,” Kaoru whispered, gathering his ripped clothes from earlier and heading toward the barracks.

Adonis would normally go to bed now, but he still had to follow up with Natsume. Maybe the scholar had found something out about Kaoru. It felt a little underhanded doing things this way, but Adonis wasn’t sure what else he could do (short of asking Kaoru himself, but the other boy was difficult to get an answer out of!). He ultimately wanted to find out more about Kaoru, and he had the means to do so. 

With the handwritten piece of paper in hand, Adonis made off toward the library. He knew Natsume would still be there, maybe even in the exact spot he left him in. 

It was no surprise when Adonis found him again, encircled by pushed away tables as he sat on a stack of books, taking notes on a book in his lap.

“Natsume,” Adonis approached, holding out the piece of paper in one hand. He brought all of Kaoru’s attempts at writing his own name, and his own attempt at it. “I think I found out how the name is spelled, do you--”

Natsume shut his book upon hearing Adonis’s voice, turning on his makeshift stool of books and crossing his legs. “Your Majesty, we should  _ talk _ .”

Adonis nodded submissively, sitting beside Natsume on the floor. “Here is the name though, is this the one you looked up?”

Natsume took the piece of paper, scanning it top to bottom before pointing at Kaoru’s attempts at his own name, “Did a four year old write  _ this _ ? I didn’t even think we had sounds like  _ these _ .”

Adonis shook his head, “What about the one on the bottom?” The one he wrote.

“That is the name I looked  _ up _ . I’m  _ glad  _ I had the right idea.”

“And…?” Adonis added, eager to find out more. He was already coming up with ideas in his head, things Kaoru may have done and ways to bring them up in conversation. He sat with his elbows on his knees and his chin set in his hands.

“Kaoru Hakaze,” Natsume began, he cleared his throat, reading off from the paper in front of him. “Kaoru Hakaze, likely in his  _ twenties _ , though I could not  _ confirm  _ it. Imprisoned for twenty counts of theft, though there may be  _ more _ . One count of  _ murder _ ,” he paused, looking up at Adonis’s lost expression, “Though there may be  _ more _ .”

“I don’t think that’s correct,” Adonis sounded confused, “This Kaoru Hakaze  _ is  _ about 20, but he used to work with farm animals, he’s blond, he has a sister, he...” Adonis threw out any minor detail about Kaoru that he could possibly think of.

“Does your Kaoru have a  _ father _ ? This Kaoru-- nevermind, why do you  _ care _ ?” Natsume’s eyes narrowed, “Do you know  _ him _ ?”

“I...” Adonis was at a loss for words.

Natsume shook his head, “I hope it is a different Kaoru, for  _ your  _ sake.”

This couldn’t be right, Kaoru wouldn’t commit theft or murder. The palace wouldn’t allow a bodyguard like that, so what Natsume was saying couldn’t possibly be correct. Natsume had to look again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Was he in some kind of alternate universe?"  
> he might be onto something.................


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adonis tossed and turned in his bed, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Natsume had told him the night before.  
> “I hope it is a different Kaoru, for your sake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the rating is changed to ~explicit~ now

Adonis tossed and turned in his bed, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Natsume had told him the night before.

_ “I hope it is a different Kaoru, for your sake.” _

It had to be a different Kaoru? This Kaoru was a good person! However, Adonis trusted Natsume quite a bit, and he couldn’t help himself from having doubts.

Daylight broke before he knew it, and Adonis found himself wandering the palace toward the one person he knew would always be frank with him. He lightly knocked on the door, so as to not startle his tailor. Shu was probably awake by now, he seemed like he never got any sleep either.

The boy in question answered the door himself, teacup in hand. Shu eyed his visitor, greeting him with a polite but stern, “Good morning Your Majesty,” before inviting him in. Shu didn’t seem to be working on anything, but his assistant Mika was toiling away with some kind of embroidery in the corner. The tailor offered Adonis a seat, as if he was here for some kind of clothing consultation. Adonis took a seat opposite him at his sewing table. After a calm sip of his tea, Shu added, “What brings you to me at this hour?”

Adonis wasn’t really sure where to begin. He came here to get Shu’s opinion on Kaoru, but he wasn’t sure how to actually ask for it. Was this gossiping?  _ Oh well _ , he sighed, pushing his hair out of his eyes, “What did you think of Hakaze?” 

Shu pursed his lips, thinking on a response, or maybe just swallowing a bitter mouthful of tea. “Kaoru seems well spoken,” Shu spoke slowly, eyeing Adonis to see what effect his words had, “Overall decent, aside from the garbage he thought to dress himself with. Did you pick him up off the street or something? Why do you ask?”

“Hey, Yer Majesty,” Mika piped up, having overheard bits and pieces of the conversation, “Is Kaoru a girl yer lookin into?”

“No,” Adonis replied, indifferent to Mika’s participation as the other boy curiously eyed Adonis and Shu.

“Well,” Shu raised an eyebrow, “ _ Are you _ looking into him?” He seemed skeptical, but unwilling to imply any more where Mika could hear.

“Ah...” Adonis looked down to his lap, not quite sure how to answer. He wanted to know more about Kaoru. They also kissed and stuff. Is that what Shu was asking?

Thankfully, Shu seemed to get the idea. He also noticed Mika leaning closer, and ended their chat with a brief, “I think you should go.”

Adonis didn't glean much from that. Shu was very perceptive, and wished he got to hear more of what he was thinking. Maybe sometime when Mika wasn’t around would be better. Shu’s small assistant was very sweet, but he probably couldn't keep a secret.

Adonis greeted Kanata on the way back to his room. The other boy was sitting in an indoor fountain, playing with what few coins people had thrown in. He looked blissfully oblivious to the world around him as water from the miniature waterfall crashed down on his head. Kanata perked up at the Prince’s voice, waving and greeting him with, “Good morning, would you like to join me? I am sorting through these people's’ wishes.”

It seemed unwise, Adonis’s parents always told him not to play in the fountains as a kid, but sitting along the side couldn’t hurt. Maybe Kanata could even help him with his current dilemma; after all, he met Kaoru yesterday too! “No thank you,” Adonis replied, in regards to Kanata asking him to take a dip in the fountain, “But I have a question for you, if that’s okay. What did you think of Hakaze yesterday?”

“Hakaze?” Kanata removed himself from the running water, sitting in a shallow area beside Adonis, resting his arms on the edge of the fountain, “You mean, Kaoru? He has a good heart. I was very polite to him... and he was polite back,” Kanata added, recalling how Kaoru shook his slimy hand. Koga didn’t even want to shake his hand at first. “What do you think of Kaoru?”

“Me?” Adonis was startled at the question, no one had really asked him his own opinion. “I think Hakaze is very nice, I want to learn more about him and get closer… I think…” Adonis punctuated his own statement with his uncertainty.

“Will that make you happy?” Kanata leaned his wet head on Adonis’s arm, “My friends and I support you.” His body slid down the side of the fountain, bubbling under the water.

“Thank you Kanata,” Adonis smiled, taking Kanata re-immersing himself in the water as his cue to leave.

At least Adonis had Kanata’s support. That put him at ease, and he walked back to his room to start his morning. He’d like to work out a little before Kaoru came, or maybe he could catch up on his reading. That difficult book was still lying on his desk untouched.

“Oh! Your Majesty, wait up!”

Kaoru jogged up to Adonis, extravagant clothing flowing behind him and making him look like he truly belonged in a palace.

“Good Morning Hakaze,” Adonis smiled. He kind of wished he could kiss Kaoru here, but that would be unwise.

Some other time.

“Morning,” Kaoru smiled sheepishly, “Should I be getting up earlier? I didn’t know you were up this early.”

“No, you're fine,” Adonis added, Kaoru walking beside him as they made for his bedroom.

Adonis had a fun idea of what to do today. He didn't have any plans, so he figured he'd use his time to learn more about Kaoru properly, no more snooping around!

“The other day I remarked that your sister was welcome in the palace, would you like to bring her here?” 

Kaoru was a little shocked. Adonis did say that, and he wasn't one to lie; but it felt like such a big favor and Kaoru almost wasn't sure if it would really happen. Trying to hide his excitement, he replied, “That would be great! I'll go and get her today then? It'll only take me a few hours at most, yeah? That's okay?” Kaoru beamed, excited to tell his sister the news, but maybe not too excited to brief her on his huge lie. She wasn’t unaware of his less-than-honest lifestyle, but this situation certainly took the cake.

“I was thinking I could come with you”

_ Oh. _ Kaoru stopped in his tracks. He didn’t want Adonis to have to see where he was living. It was nothing like the palace life Adonis was used to. It probably wasn’t even like the life Adonis assumed Kaoru had for working in ‘manual labor’ or whatever that lie was. Going to the worse parts of town probably wouldn’t even be safe for Adonis; what if he got stabbed or stolen from because he looked too affluent? “A-Are you sure?” Kaoru stuttered, struggling to come up with some kind of excuse as to why he should totally go alone. He didn’t want to tell Adonis he was from the slums, “It might be a little dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Hakaze. You are my bodyguard.”

Kaoru didn’t have a rebuttal for that, and in a few hours the pair was off. They were somewhat disguised, drab clothing hanging over their regal garb. Adonis kept close to Kaoru, and the other boy didn’t dare say,  _ ‘Don’t you think there should be more guards with us?’  _ even though it was the only thought on his mind.

The pair passed through markets, alleys, residential areas, all the while straying further from the safe haven of the palace. Adonis was intrigued by everything along the way, taking his sweet time looking at goods from merchants that Kaoru was sure were simple con artists. As they got closer to his area, Kaoru kept his head down, urging Adonis to do the same. He didn’t want them to be recognized. He also didn’t want Adonis to focus too much on what a shitty area of town they were in. Homeless folks and garbage littered the streets; there were groups of people huddled together, no doubt having illicit interactions.

Adonis heeded Kaoru’s words, for the most part, his bodyguard surely knew best. When glass broke behind them, he couldn’t help but whip his head around on reflex, witnessing some kind of fight. Kaoru pulled Adonis forward by the wrist, but the other boy’s hood flew back as he kept his eyes on the action. “Are they going to be alright?” Adonis asked while looking back, words flying into the air behind them.

“Probably not,” Kaoru added, not completely sure what Adonis was referring to. 

“Should we help?”

“No.”

Adonis kept quiet. He didn’t want anyone to get hurt… but if that’s what Kaoru thought was best, he trusted him. Maybe it was just a street performance, and that’s why Kaoru didn’t want to help. That had to be it! Anyway, it was exciting thinking about meeting Kaoru’s family. He had a sister, Adonis knew that much. Natsume also mentioned his Kaoru having a father (or something weird about a father, he didn’t quite understand it). “Hakaze,” Adonis started, “You have a sister, do you live with a father too? Should we prepare him to move into the palace as well?” This could totally dispel any worries as to whether Natsume’s Kaoru and his Kaoru were the same person!

“Gh--,” Kaoru sounded like he choked on something deep in his throat. His grip on Adonis’s wrist lessened, and he slowed to a walk. He kept his face out of Adonis’s view, looking away from the surely well-meaning purple haired boy. Kaoru felt like there was a big lump in his throat that prevented him from talking. 

“Are… you okay? Hakaze?” Adonis was pretty concerned, Kaoru completely froze up. He reached for the other boy’s hand.

Kaoru moved his arm before Adonis could touch him. He turned back to the Prince, eyes closed and lips turned up in a makeshift smile. “Sorry, I zoned out,” Kaoru apologized, voice devoid of any personality, “I don’t think we should talk about this. Don’t bring that up around my sister.”

Adonis blinked. That reaction didn’t seem normal at all. Kaoru said he zoned out, but the rest of his reaction made it seem like he totally heard what Adonis asked him. It was all so confusing. The rest of the walk was done in silence.

“This is the place,” Kaoru stopped them outside a door. It didn’t look particularly impressive, and Kaoru absolutely felt embarrassed to show it to royalty. “Maybe you should wait outside...” he thought aloud; he didn’t want Adonis to see the hellhole he lived in. On the other hand, Adonis couldn’t be left alone in this dangerous part of town. “Actually,” Kaoru swallowed his pride, “You can… come in.” He wanted to add,  _ ‘Don’t think less of me’ _ or something like that, but he didn’t know what expectations Adonis had in the first place.

Kaoru opened the door, announcing he was home so as to not startle his sister. Adonis entered after him, closing the door behind them. It looked like their home was only one room. There was a stained rug on the floor, and various ripped and discolored tapestries along the walls. There was also something like a kitchen that consisted of a counter with various foodstuffs on it, none of which looked sanitary. He also noticed a blanket on the floor, which further drove home the idea that this one room served every function. Adonis didn’t know much about commoners, but this didn’t seem like a place to live if you get by with manual labor.

“Oh my god,” a woman (no doubt Kaoru’s sister) gasped, launching herself up from the floor and into Kaoru’s arms. She held a small mirror, somehow grooming herself; but now she rest her head against Kaoru’s shoulder, arms wrapped around him. “I didn’t know what happened to you,” she breathed, words muffled against her brother’s shoulder, “I…”

“Shh...” Kaoru tried to calm her. He was completely aware that he left home and didn’t return for a while, leaving absolutely no indication where he went. He couldn’t do much, considering the situation he found himself in, but he couldn’t blame his sister for her concern. She probably thought he was imprisoned or dead or something. Not that that was anything new. “Hey, so I’m back,” he calmly added, hushing her and running his fingers through his sister’s hair. He felt her nod against his shoulder, “So, I have some news...” Kaoru began, not quite sure how to tell her everything that managed to happen over the past week or so. 

Adonis watched the family, not quite sure if he should interfere, so he stood uncomfortably against the door. This seemed like a weird reunion.

“So,” Kaoru started, wiping the tears from his sister’s eyes with his sleeve, “I have… a job.” Her face contorted in confusion, and Kaoru held her close again, quickly whispering, “Don’t question it, just follow along,” into her ear. “I work for him now,” Kaoru added, pointing to Adonis. The man in question removed his hood, nodding to acknowledge his inclusion in the conversation. “That is...” Kaoru fumbled with words, not quite sure how to introduce the Prince to his unaware sister, “Adonis Otogari, Your Majesty Adonis Otogari.” His sister squinted, looking between the two of them, as if to determine what could have possibly happened to land Kaoru into this situation. “He’s the Prince,” Kaoru clarified.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Adonis introduced himself eloquently, “Today Hakaze and I came to get you, we think it may be better if you come live in the palace.”

“W-What...” Kaoru’s sister was still, understandably, confused. Her brother disappeared, somehow came back and told her she was to move into the palace. The royal palace. The one that stood intimidatingly in the center of the city.

“Did you not tell her that you applied to my guard?” Adonis asked Kaoru, tilting his head in confusion.

“N-No,” Kaoru stuttered, “I...”

“He probably didn’t want to get my hopes up if he got in, right?” Kaoru’s sister added, trying to cover for him somehow. 

Kaoru bit his lip; fuck yes, that’s his sister all right. _ ‘Thank you!’  _ he aggressively thought, agreeing with her that he didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up. 

“Ah,” Adonis added in understanding, “Would you like to get going then? We can return in time for lunch if we leave now, right?” Kaoru’s sister looked a little malnourished.

“Sounds good, let me help you grab everything sis,” Kaoru bent over to help her gather what few possessions she had. Adonis was distracted, idly looking around the room (maybe admiring local insects that made their home where the wall met the ceiling), and Kaoru pulled her close to whisper into her ear, “I’m his bodyguard now, don’t question it. We’re going to live in the palace now, we can talk about it later.” She nodded, and the pair wrapped up some clothes and a few minor possessions in a blanket to take with them.

The return trip wasn’t nearly as eventful. Kaoru managed to guide Adonis and his sister down less crowded streets, and the two seemed to engage in minor chatter behind him. Kaoru felt a little guilty, it was slowly weighing on him, like a charm bracelet that obtained more and more little metal charms over time. Adonis was always so generous and trusting. Kaoru’s entire family and living situation was taken care of all because of a little lie that the Prince believed. Usually Kaoru wouldn’t mind being so slimy about things, but… he found himself getting attached to Adonis. He found himself liking Adonis. Like a friend or… something. He almost wanted to tell him the truth, just to get it off his chest (since the only other way to escape the guilt would be to run away, and he dug himself too deep for that). Adonis probably wouldn’t care, he was an understanding guy, but it was still a lot to think about. Like, how was Kaoru supposed to gently convey to the Prince (that he’s lowkey hooking up with, don’t forget that part), that the only reason they met is because Kaoru wanted to jack his jewlery?

The trio passed through another market as they approached the palace, and Adonis tugged at Kaoru’s sleeve like a child, asking if they could go back and look at it. It seemed ok, this area wasn’t very dangerous, but he’d really like to get his sister back safe and sound first.

Before they could enter the palace, Adonis and Kaoru greeted Rei at the gates. The strange older boy was tending to some type of foliage.

“Good afternoon,” Rei returned the greeting from the safety of his black umbrella, “What brings you two here?” he asked, gesturing to Kaoru’s sister, “And a third?”

“This is Hakaze’s sister,” Adonis explained. “Hakaze and I were thinking of going out to the market again, so could you show her to her room? I think one of the empty ones on the same floor as my own should be okay.”

“Mmn~” Rei hummed, “Marvellous. That’s quite the setup isn’t it Kaoru? I’m glad you’re getting along so well here,” he smiled at the bodyguard, though it didn’t seem genuine at all. “Now,” Rei politely extended his hand to Kaoru’s sister, facial expression changing, though wincing as his arm left the shadow of the umbrella, “Follow me, my lady.”

Kaoru bit his tongue, wishing he could stop his sister from taking that weird gardener’s hand; but he didn’t want to say anything rude with Adonis around. Rei probably wouldn’t do anything weird to her, he was just messing with them. It seemed like he enjoyed doing that.

Adonis and Kaoru returned to the market shortly after, weaving through various alleys to avoid large crowds of people. “It’s really crowded today,” Kaoru whined, almost stepping on a passerby’s foot, “Stay close to me, alright?”

“Alright,” Adonis agreed, following along beside Kaoru as he perused various wares. There was all kinds of food for sale, and many things that shopkeepers had evidently crafted themselves. It was neat to look at, almost like a field trip to another culture. He watched various people barter with the merchants, trading more than just currency to get what they wanted. Adonis kind of wanted to try it himself, if only for the experience, but he didn’t bring a coin purse with him.

“Hey,” A shopkeeper called out to Adonis. The curious boy stopped in his tracks, pointing to himself as if to say  _ ‘Who? Me?’ _ . The shopkeep beckoned him over with a wave of his arm, muffling a sleepy yawn into the back of his hand. “Are you interested in anything? I’ll trade you for that necklace you have on.” He had various trinkets lying out on a blanket in front of him, Adonis would be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t interested as he came closer. They looked like antiques, and Adonis spent his time examining each one.

“These are all very interesting, can you tell me about them?”

“They’re foreign,” the shopkeep replied, rubbing at his eyes as if he’d rather be asleep. “My brother and I acquired them a while ago, our family did all kinds of travelling.” The salesman pushed dark hair out of his eyes, making eye contact with Adonis’s golden ones as he added, “I have more stock in the back, would you like to see?”

“Yes, please show me,” Adonis answered without question, listening to the shopkeeper as he told a nearby merchant to keep an eye on his stuff for a minute. Adonis stepped over the blanket, following the shopkeeper into a nearby alley. He noticed the other boy was shorter than him, but maybe they were around the same age. Adonis couldn’t help but wonder what kind of travelling this boy had managed to do in his life. “So, what kinds of things do you keep back here?” Adonis asked; the further they went, the more it didn’t seem like a place to keep shop stock.

“Nothing. I just wanted you alone.”

“What--” Adonis gasped. The shopkeeper may have been smaller than him, but in Adonis’s surprise he was easily pinned to a wall, small blade at his throat. Kaoru…? Where was Kaoru? Adonis must have wandered off from him as he approached the merchant. Adonis felt his throat hiccup like he was about to cry, and he watched the blade positioned below his chin. This was all his fault for wandering away from Kaoru, and now he was in huge trouble. “What… do you want with me?” Adonis gasped.

“Don’t cry on me,” the merchant sighed, as if he would rather be anywhere else. “I don’t want you,” he added, looking up at Adonis’s teary eyes, “I want your bodyguard. --But he doesn’t seem like he’s that much of a bodyguard?” he laughed.

“Hakaze is great...” Adonis mumbled, “D-Don’t...” It was his first time in a situation like this; he was trying not to freak out, but he could feel his knees shaking underneath all of his layers of clothing. “If I just give you the necklace, will you go?” Adonis tried to barter. He could feel his tears threatening to spill and his bladder threatening to empty but he wasn’t about to give up. “You can go and not hurt me,” Adonis added, unwilling to resort to violence with his own strength. 

“No thanks,” the knife wielding boy added rather politely, “Just here for the bodyguard. When’s he gonna notice you’re missing, huh? I’m getting bored.”

Kaoru had totally realized Adonis was missing, maybe a few paces past the area where Adonis got distracted. He frantically started moving through the crowd, looking for any hint of the Prince’s presence. “Oh fuck,” Kaoru repeated to himself, “Oh fuck, I had one job. I had  _ one  _ fucking job… I was supposed to be guarding his body and I…  _ shit _ .” Kaoru then approached everyone, people in the crowd, merchants, whoever he could find, and asked them about Adonis. It generally went like, “Have you seen a man? Kinda looks like the Prince? Real handsome, deep purple hair, he--” before the other person would inevitably cut him off, telling him to buy something or leave them alone, that they were losing business by having him freak out in front of their stock.

Kaoru ended up rushing down an alley at another merchant’s advice, saying he saw two men go down it, and one looked like the one Kaoru was describing. He ran toward Adonis, dirt kicking up under his feet as he readied his blade for whatever could be waiting for him. 

The assailant turned to Kaoru as he approached, and Adonis was too frozen in place to move away. He watched their blades connect, eyes widened in fear as he watched Kaoru slash at the other man’s waist, through clothing, kicking him down in his surprise. The merchant didn’t make any attempt to get up.

Kaoru was terrified. He didn’t know a damn thing about saving others, but sure as hell knew how to protect himself. He saw Adonis shaking beside him, back flat against the wall and knees out in front of him. He looked unfocused, nauseous, like he was ready to throw up. 

Adonis was honestly shocked, fairly sure Kaoru just killed a man for him. That level of strength made his world spin. It was scary, but Kaoru used it for him.

“We… We gotta get you home,” Kaoru mumbled, “You’re okay, right Your Majesty?” Adonis nodded, arms crossed in front of him. He seemed surprised as Kaoru took his hand, bringing him fully to his feet. “Let’s get you home, okay?” Kaoru added softly, holding up most of Adonis’s weight as the other boy leaned on him.

Thankfully Rei was back at the gate to help them in (and he didn’t ask questions, beyond asking if Adonis was okay), running to the kitchen to get Adonis a glass of water and anything else he may need as Kaoru brought him to his room.

Adonis sat on his bed, mentally regrouping for a bit, as Kaoru went on as if nothing happened. His bodyguard paced around the room, obviously caring about him, but still bringing up inconsequential things like asking if he wanted to take a bath or eat dinner first. Kaoru was acting as if it was a normal day.

“You could have died today Hakaze,” Adonis interrupted solemnly, sitting atop his bed with his hands clasped in front of him.

Kaoru didn’t really know what to say to that. He grew up thinking he could die every day, big fucking deal. Honestly, the only time he hasn’t feared for his life is after Adonis believed his lie and he was able to start living and working in the palace. He made sure Adonis’s door was locked before sitting beside the other boy in bed, gently rubbing at his back. He wasn’t quite sure how to comfort someone over this, mostly because he didn’t get why Adonis would be so upset.

Adonis felt Kaoru’s fingertips on his face, wiping away whatever tears rolled down his cheek. Adonis kissed his fingers, tasting the salty wetness on his lips. He was thankful to have Kaoru, and he was thankful that both he and Kaoru were okay. 

“Ah… Your Majesty, I...” Kaoru began, somewhat flustered at the Prince’s sudden behavior.

“May I kiss you?”

Kaoru nodded, closing his eyes and waiting for Adonis to connect their lips. 

Adonis wrapped his arms around Kaoru, colliding their lips and causing them both to land on the bed, and totally coming to terms with the fact he maybe likes his bodyguard as more-than-just-a-bodyguard. He couldn’t pinpoint if it was from his conversation with Shu, Kanata, or everything that went on today, but that didn’t matter now. Kaoru’s lips were against his own and he could feel the other boy’s body heat beside him and Adonis swore his heart was racing dangerously fast just from that.

“Hakaze I...” Adonis murmured between kisses, lips sliding against each other and parting into something deeper. Adonis pulled Kaoru closer, full of affection, frantically sliding their tongues together to share everything with him that he possibly could.

Kaoru responded eagerly, turning Adonis over so his back was against the bed, Kaoru above him. “Your Majesty...” Kaoru gasped, resting his head between Adonis’s neck and shoulder. He nudged aside the scarf the other boy wore with his nose, leaving kisses over the exposed skin.

Adonis got the idea and sat up, abs working overtime as Kaoru stayed on his lap. The younger boy shrugged off his vest, letting it pool behind him, and delicately unwrapped his scarf. Kaoru felt like he was watching some kind of strip show, it felt too intimate watching Adonis take off basic pieces of clothing. He ran his fingers over the newly exposed skin of Adonis’s chest, noting every dip and curve of the other boy’s muscles.

Kaoru couldn’t help but thumb one of his nipples too, they were there after all. They weren’t like a girl’s, but Kaoru definitely felt like he could get used to all the little noises Adonis was making. He was splayed out on the bed before Kaoru, cheeks tinted a healthy pink as Kaoru rolled his thumb and forefinger between his nipples. “Y-Your Majesty,” Kaoru murmured, eyes transfixed on the other boy’s chest, “You’re really… wow...”

“H-Hakaze...” Adonis gasped, covering his face with a hand. He was naked from the waist up (only a few chains that connected his vest to his pants even hung at his waist), baring himself to Kaoru, it was all a little embarrassing when the other boy started saying things like that. 

“Do you...” Kaoru whispered, and he couldn’t believe he was saying this, hand lightly ghosting over the front of Adonis’s pants, “Do you want me to do something about this?” The pants were loose, but being on his lap, Kaoru could definitely feel something nudging against him.

“I...” Adonis hesitated at first, “I don’t think I’d mind it if it’s you.” 

Adonis was bashfully looking up at Kaoru and he didn’t know what to say. That sounded really… romantic. Way more romantic than anything Kaoru had ever done before. Whenever he was with another person in the past, they never expressedly wanted  _ him _ , they just wanted  _ someone _ . “Haa...” Kaoru sighed, “I don’t think I’d mind…” he was too flustered to say it, “...this, if it was with you either.” He kept palming the front of Adonis’s pants, other hand trying to figure out how to unclasp all of the chains and jewelry that connected Adonis’s clothing together. His pants were attached his his vest (which he was currently lying on), and he had all kinds of complicated belts and sashes at his hips. He had no idea how Adonis dealt with that on a daily basis, but now he was the one dealing with it. 

Kaoru ceased any heavy petting to fumble around with Adonis’s choice in clothing, removing some of the belts adorning him. Adonis let out a pained whine at the lack of contact, covering his mouth moments later as if he never meant to utter it. Kaoru was particularly amused at the noise, ceasing any attempt to undress Adonis in favor of touching him. Adonis’s pants were by no means tight, but Kaoru could feel the outline of his dick through them, hot and heavy in his hand. The other boy was cooperating below him, teeth digging into his knuckle to muffle any embarrassing noises that came with being touched like this for the first time. “Hakaze…” Adonis whined, ”P-Please take them off, please, it feels so good it hurts.”

“R-Right, sorry,” Kaoru apologized, ignoring the very obvious bulge in Adonis’s pants (and oh god, was it leaking?) to fumble with the jewlery connecting all of his clothing. He couldn’t figure out how everything connected, especially when he was thinking with his dick and he just wanted to yank down Adonis’s pants. “I just,” Kaoru sighed, “I can’t  _ fucking _ ...” his voice strained with frustration, “Fuck, Your Majesty, would you be pissed if I...” he glanced at his blade on the end table, slowly moving his hand toward it, hoping Adonis got the idea.

Clothes could be replaced, Adonis figured, and he shook his head affirmatively without a second thought. He covered his eyes in embarrassment as he heard the fabric rip, pants definitely more breezy than they were five minutes ago. 

Kaoru pushed the torn fabric aside, letting himself regret the very definitive rip in the crotch area of Adonis’s pants at a later time. He was sitting between Adonis’s legs now, the backs of Adonis’s knees against his shoulders. “Shit, you’re huge,” Kaoru remarked without thinking, taking Adonis’s dick in his hand, “I mean I saw you in the bath but… seriously.”

Adonis just groaned in response, closing his eyes and arching his hips toward Kaoru. He knew he was being totally embarrassing, gasping and thrusting his body instead of making words, but he couldn’t help it, not when Kaoru was making him feel like this. He grabbed at Kaoru’s sleeves, anything to touch more of Kaoru than he already was.

“I… can I put it in?” Kaoru hurriedly asked, gyrating his own hips and rubbing himself against Adonis’s ass, “I just need some oil or--”

“T-Table, on the table,” Adonis gasped. “Please Hakaze,” he pleaded, not completely sure what he was asking for, but sure that he would love whatever Kaoru gave him.

Kaoru quickly leaned over, picking up something that looked like skin cream, “Yeah, yeah, this’ll do… just wait a little longer. Just be good and wait a little longer,” he murmured, slicking up a few of his fingers. He wasn’t entirely sure how this was supposed to work, but he also never thought he’d end up with his fingers in a dude’s ass, so it was certainly a time for discovering new things. One finger went in easily, and Kaoru probed around a bit before putting a second one in too. He could feel Adonis flexing his thighs and curling his toes and he lightly massaged the other boy’s leg with his free hand, whispering “Just a little longer, that’s two yeah, h-how’s it feel?”

Adonis’s chest rose and fell with each breath, acutely aware of every movement Kaoru made inside of him. “H-Haa.. Hakaze,” Adonis shakily breathed, “You’re inside of me...”

“Y-Yeah that’s the idea,” Kaoru sighed, gripping his own dick with one hand as he fucked Adonis with the other, three fingers now inside the other boy. He felt like he’d die without any kind of relief, his dick was stiff and pulsing between his legs. The more he watched his fingers go in and out of Adonis, the more he wished it was something else instead. Kaoru never thought he’d want another man’s ass this bad. 

After thoroughly preparing Adonis, Kaoru finally removed his fingers. He let out a deep exhale as he watched Adonis clench on nothing, tight ring of muscle way too enticing for its own good. He placed himself at Adonis’s entrance, one hand steadying himself and the other on Adonis’s ass. Just from having the head in, Kaoru didn’t think this could possibly get any better. He leaned down, breathy gasps and whines falling against Adonis’s shoulder as he pushed in the rest of the way. He nipped Adonis’s earlobe, various expletives leaving him (very certain the Prince had never heard some of those words in his young life). He wanted to say something, a name, but he wasn’t sure if he should call the other boy ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Adonis’ in this situation. It would be fucked up if he called him Adonis and the other boy got upset. He  _ really  _ wanted to call him Adonis.

Adonis gasped and tugged at Kaoru’s shirt, feeling like he was being split open in the best way possible. Kaoru was slowly rocking his hips, generous enough to bring his hand back to Adonis’s dick. He could feel himself pulsing in the other boy’s grip, precum dribbling down his hand. He felt like he was sweating like crazy, as if his attraction to Kaoru managed to raise his body temperature. “Ahh--  _ Hakaze _ ,” Adonis moaned, white knuckle grip on the fabric of Kaoru’s shirt as he came.

Kaoru kissed him through it, swallowing any noise from Adonis (lest anyone outside the room hear). He kept his hand on the head of Adonis’s dick, thumbing it until absolutely everything came out. Kaoru was almost relieved Adonis got off, though giving the boy very little respite before continuing his own thrusts. He wanted to cum so bad, and the inside of Adonis felt so good, especially with how the other boy was clenching around him now that he came. Kaoru could feel Adonis’s body jolting forward with every thrust, his shoulders sliding over the sheets as Kaoru pressed into him. “You’re so good,” Kaoru mumbled between kisses, pushing his head into the crook of Adonis’s neck as he came. He bit at the skin there, never truly deciding to gasp out ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Adonis’, muffling the last of his moans as he rode out his orgasm into the other boy’s sweat slick skin. He finally pulled out, murmuring a brief expletive as cum leaked out of Adonis’s ass after him. He’d definitely have to suggest a bath, but for now Kaoru lay beside Adonis, the other boy pressing messy kisses to the side of his face.

“Thank you Hakaze,” Adonis mouthed against his skin, “I’m glad that was with you,” he murmured, curling up against the other boy and throwing a sheet over them at an awkward angle.

Kaoru was glad it was with him too. He was honored to take the royal virginity of all things, but he still felt a little fucked (for lack of a better word) since he was still sitting in this nasty web of lies.

* * *

The pair bathed together, Kaoru quietly washing Adonis as he informed him of the soreness to come. He also apologized for ripping Adonis’s pants, though they both wanted it in the moment.

It was around midnight when Adonis left his room, quietly making his way down the palace hallways. The gold of the accent decor shone in the moonlight, and the white of the stone floor and ceiling surrounding Adonis made him feel like he was on the inside of a pearl.

His fist rapped against a certain door for the second time today, and the same pink haired boy answered his call.

“Good evening Your Majesty,” Shu greeted him, as formal and polite as ever. Shu didn’t look the least bit tired, same cup of tea in his hand from this morning. “None of my assistants are around, would you care to continue our conversation from this morning?”

Adonis nodded, slipping past the door with a bundle of fabric in his hands. They took the same seats as they had this morning, Shu was truly one for routines. Adonis sheepishly started by sliding the fabric across the table, “Shu, is there any way you could fix this?”

“What have you done now...” Shu murmured, tapping a finger to his lips before inspecting what Adonis gave him. It seemed like a pair of pants, but… “What on earth did you  _ do _ ?” Shu gasped, holding up the pants so that the giant rip through the crotch was visible to the both of them. Adonis looked at his lap, failing to make eye contact as if he were a guilty child being scolded.

Shu laid the pants on the table, still inspecting the tear in them. In all seriousness, the tear wasn’t in the center of the pants, so it would look completely stupid if they were sewn up. By now, seeing Adonis’s reaction, he had a vague idea of what could have possibly transpired. Shu rubbed his temples, as if he seriously didn’t want to be having this conversation right now, “I can’t fix it,” he said curtly, “You’re going to need to be more careful about this kind of thing. Your parents are coming home tomorrow, do you realize that?”

“S-Sorry.” Adonis weakly apologized, “There were too many belts and chains and we were unable to figure out how to remove them in time and--”

“I don’t need to know that.” Shu let out an exasperated sigh, “I did  _ not  _ need to know that. Keep your hands to yourself when your parents are around, I shouldn’t have to tell you twice.”

“Y-Yes Shu,” Adonis apologized once more, leaving the room like a dog with its tail between its legs. He’d have to be more careful tomorrow. His parents hired Kaoru in their absence, and he didn’t want them to get the wrong idea about him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hakaze,” Adonis beamed, “My family returns today.” He was sitting at his desk, but turned in his chair as Kaoru arrived for the morning. One leg was leisurely crossed over the other, and he rest his forearm on the back of the chair.
> 
> “Ah… Is that so?” Great, new people to be on his best behavior around. Kaoru wasn’t really looking forward to it.
> 
> “I’m sure they’ll be very happy to meet the guard they hired.”

“Hakaze,” Adonis beamed, “My family returns today.” He was sitting at his desk, but turned in his chair as Kaoru arrived for the morning. One leg was leisurely crossed over the other, and he rest his forearm on the back of the chair.

“Ah… Is that so?” Great, new people to be on his best behavior around. Kaoru wasn’t really looking forward to it.

“I’m sure they’ll be very happy to meet the guard they hired.”

_ Oh shit. _ Kaoru gasped, a sharp intake of breath. “Yeah,” he forced out, “I’m sure.” Did he say they were responsible for hiring him?

His heart was beating a mile a minute and he was trying to figure out if there was a possible way out of that. Maybe he could escape? No, that’s too rash. 

Who says Adonis’s parents would even greet him? They’re probably very busy, right?

A knock at the door interrupted his train of thought. Hopefully it was another guard, ready to switch places with him for the day. That had never happened before, but who’s to say he couldn’t make it happen now?

“Come in,” Adonis called, allowing the knocker entry.

A man and woman entered, dressed equally as lavish as Adonis himself. Kaoru stepped to the side as the woman paraded forward, spreading her arms and wrapping them around Adonis as he stood up.

Oh no.

“Good to see you again darling!” She stepped on her tip-toes, embracing Adonis as if they were the same height.

_ Oh no. _

First of all, what kind of parent  _ knocks _ ?

Kaoru was sweating bullets as he watched the gentle reunion, thinking of what to possibly say. He’d have to introduce himself as a bodyguard, right? That’s what Adonis thought he was.

But he wasn’t sure he could trick Adonis’s parents like that.

“And who are you?” The man, likely Adonis’s father, asked, and Kaoru’s hair stood on end.

“I’m his bodyguard, Kaoru Hakaze,” Kaoru answered with (fake) confidence. He made eye contact with Adonis’s father, and he could see where Adonis’s serious side came from. He looked like he smiled once or twice a year.

Kaoru tried to keep up an equally serious face, but what the other man replied, “Are you now?” Kaoru had no idea what he was thinking, or even if he was supposed to respond to that.

“Yes, I am, I’ve been protecting your son in your absence.” All Kaoru could do was own it.

“How nice of you,” Adonis’s father replied, watching his wife press kisses to her son’s face, numerous lipstick marks in the wake of each kiss. “Do you mind if we speak to our son privately?” He asked, not meeting Kaoru’s eyes.

“Uh...” Kaoru hesitated, “Sure, understood. Do you want me to just… leave the room?”

“That would be ideal.”

“Right. Excuse me.” This was awkward. Painfully awkward. Kaoru never imagined meeting the parents would be like this. He nodded to Adonis before exiting the room, closing the door behind him. He couldn’t tell how that went, but t least they were polite to him.

* * *

“Ahem,” Adonis’s father cleared his throat, “Good to see you.”

“Welcome home,” Adonis smiled, though his tone changed as he noticed Kaoru was absent. “Did something happen while you were away?” Adonis asked, assuming the worst, thinking there was some critical information that Kaoru was not to hear. If something happened to one of his sisters…

“No, not with us at least,” Adonis’s father coughed, “Though it appears some changes were made here.”

“Ah, Rei did change the garden a bit while you were gone,” Adonis tilted his head quizzically, “Do you not like it?” That was all he could think of, not much happened around the palace while they were gone.

“Darling, what’s this all about?” Adonis mother butted in, still at her son’s side, arms wrapped around one of his.

Noticing his wife’s unease, he skipped straight to the point. “Where did you get that bodyguard, that Kaoru?”

“Oh,” this was about Kaoru, “You hired him to watch over me in your absence, he arrived shortly after you left,” Adonis answered, pretty much repeating what Kaoru told him the day they met.

“We never did such a thing!” his mother responded, frantically alternating her gaze between her son and her husband.

Adonis’s mouth opened, as if he were to speak, but no words came out.

His parents didn’t hire Kaoru? Then how did he get there?

“He’s the bodyguard you hired in your absence,” Adonis repeated, as if repetition would make it any truer, “He’s… the bodyguard--”

“No darling, we didn’t, are you alright?”

Adonis felt his heart sink deep into his chest, and he didn’t know if it would ever come out again. He was having trouble coming to terms with… everything. Everything that happened in the past five minutes. He clasped his hands together, squeezing tight, “I… Are you certain?” There had to be a mistake. This had to be a mistake, like Natsume’s mistake about Kaoru.

“Yes, very certain,” his father frowned, lines creased his jaw and he excused himself. To  _ ‘deal with things’ _ .

Adonis’s mother gently pat his shoulder, asking once more if he was hurt, if anyone was hurt, or if anything in the palace was different than usual. Adonis shook his head every time, blindly answering. He felt betrayed and upset. His teeth nervously kneaded the side of his cheek. It hadn’t been long, but he  _ felt something _ for Kaoru. If the other boy lied about being a bodyguard… what else had he lied about? Was his name even real? Did Kaoru care about him at all? Did Adonis even like a real person, or was it a collection of lies that he fell in lo…

“Darling, do you need anything? You look a bit ill...”

“No… I think,” Adonis hesitated, “I think I’d like to rest.”

“Breakfast is ready, are you sure?”

“Yes.”

His mother excused herself, closing the door softly behind her. Adonis didn’t quite know what to do with himself; he felt like his legs should have given out long ago. He stepped toward the bed, slow breaths escaping him with each step. The bed shifted as Adonis sat along the edge, causing tension in the canopy as the fabric caught under him. He tried pushing it to the side, but ripped the delicate fabric in his frustration.

He was upset at Kaoru, he felt betrayed; but he was even more upset at himself, at the recurring thought tugging at the back of his mind that he never gave Kaoru a kiss good morning.

And probably never would.

* * *

The next few days seemed to slip by. Adonis remembered waking up, eating, Koga even brought some animals up to his room to see him one day. They were quickly ushered out, but it’s the thought that counted.

Adonis was forced to think long and hard about Kaoru’s long and hard that went into him the other night. He trusted Kaoru with his body and his life, yet the other boy never took advantage of it (that he knew of). As if being trapped alone with his own thoughts wasn’t enough, Adonis was being questioned by various people. Parents, sisters, and guards came and went. They asked about Kaoru, how long he was there, how he acted, and if Adonis noticed anything missing. He felt more like a reference book than a person. With every question he was asked, Adonis came to the conclusion that his Kaoru and Natsume’s Kaoru could only be one in the same.

Concern flooded after that realization. Natsume’s Kaoru was a bad person, right? A dangerous person. A dangerous person… who… knew a lot about him. As soon as that seed of anxiety was planted in his head, Adonis couldn’t stop thinking about it, about what would happen if Kaoru happened to leak any of the things they’d done together. 

The less socially acceptable things.

The  _ gay  _ things.

As if to disprove his claims, to quell that worry, Adonis found himself wandering toward the dungeon in the middle of yet another sleepless night. He took care not to draw too much attention to himself on the way. If anyone saw him, they’d probably caution him against going, or insist that they tag along for his safety. 

He waited until the guards switched shifts, passing by in the commotion. Adonis was rather set on this. His face was covered, but he peeked into each cell, trying to figure out where Kaoru could be. It didn’t help that it was dark, candles against the wall the only light source. As he neared the end of the hall, he noticed a pale head of hair shining against the candle light. There was also a chair positioned outside the cell, likely intended for a guard; Kaoru seemed to be asleep so Adonis took a seat.

Adonis lowered the scarf that shielded his head, and the noise of his own breath startled him. It was quiet down here, everyone seemed to be asleep. Taking a closer look at Kaoru, he wasn’t sitting of his own volition, his wrists were chained to the wall. His ankles were also chained to the wall, and it didn’t seem like he could move very much. Kaoru’s hair looked greasy and matted, and it hung over his face as he let his body sag toward the ground.

The Prince left his scarf and cloak on the chair, taking a candle from the wall. He took a few steps toward Kaoru, and the other boy jolted up instantly. His back straightened, and the back of his head rest against the cold stone wall to keep himself upright. He shivered, but once his eyes focused on Adonis he seemed to relax a bit.

“You...” Kaoru rasped, and his voice didn’t sound the same. He had bruising all over his neck. Adonis tried real hard not to think about it.

“I thought you were asleep, sorry,” Adonis didn’t know what to say.  _ ‘Are you okay?’  _ seemed like a bad idea. Bruising, puffy skin, and various lacerations suggested otherwise.

“Mmn,” Kaoru made a weak noise, neck going slack and hair falling in front of his face.

Adonis took his seat again, assuming Kaoru fell asleep once more. He heard the other boy wheezing in front of him. Adonis wanted to get him a drink of water or something, and it didn’t look like Kaoru had eaten very recently either. The blond coughed, and Adonis sat on the edge of his seat.

“‘s my sister okay?” Kaoru murmured.

Adonis was hit with all kinds of strange conflicting feelings in his chest. “She’s alright,” Adonis whispered, grasping the bar of a cell to lean closer, “She is unaware of your location.” Kaoru is bad, that’s what he was supposed to believe, but a bad person wouldn’t care about his sister like this. Kaoru has always cared about his sister.

“Good,” Kaoru murmured. He tilted his neck, flipping hair out of his face, eye to eye with Adonis, “Thanks.”

Adonis was once again conflicted, this didn’t sound like the man his parents cautioned him of. Back to the matter at hand, “Is Kaoru your real name?”

“Huh?” Kaoru sighed, “Guess it’s the one thing I didn’t lie about. It’s my name.” He didn’t expect an interrogation, but if it was with Adonis, it couldn’t be too bad. There were worse things out there.

“You don’t have to lie anymore,” Adonis’s cheek was practically against the metal bars that separated them, “You can tell me the truth now, I want to know who you really are.”

“Haa...” Kaoru exhaled, and Adonis felt like he could hear the air travel through his body. “It’s not going to do any good now, but whatever, I originally came to the palace to steal shit from you. My sister and I need money.”

Adonis felt the world stop around him, and blurted out his thoughts as they came, “You could have asked me for money, we have a lot of it.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Kaoru’s lips, Adonis was so innocent. “That isn’t how the world works Your Majesty.” Kaoru coughed, and he could feel his hands restrained by the cuffs as he body shifted, “I thought I’d die if I was caught, so I lied and said I was your bodyguard.”

“But you did a good job as my bodyguard.”

“Yeah,” Kaoru scoffed, ignoring the compliment, “I’m just good at fighting stuff and keeping myself safe.”

“Do you fight often?” Adonis asked, eyeing the scarring along his chest, “Is that where...” He found himself speaking without thinking; maybe it would be better if he didn’t finish that thought.

“Kind of,” Kaoru’s head lolled to the side, looking down at himself. He wasn’t wearing the clothes from Shu any longer, so his body was on display. He’d never felt so exposed before; even when they had sex, his shirt was still on. “I’ve never really killed anyone before. Like that other day, it was a one time thing. Once before, because I really had to,” his voice caught in his throat, “I got caught and punished pretty badly, but nothing like this.” He tugged on the cuffs for emphasis, and the chains clattered in response. “A lot of this is from my father.”

“He doesn’t seem like a good man, you shouldn’t hurt your child,” Adonis stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He could tell how much it pained Kaoru to say it, because there’s that  _ father  _ thing he’s been awkwardly tiptoeing around the entire time.

“No...”  _ Was Kaoru crying? _ “No, you shouldn’t. You’re right.” Adonis had such a good heart.

In Kaoru’s silence, save for his sniffling, Adonis traced each scar with his eyes. They were only a shade or two off from his skintone, but they stood out in their number. He sadly wondered where each one came from, “Hakaze, are the guards hurting you?” Adonis asked.

“Ah,” Kaoru sighed, “They asked me stuff, then they get pissed when I can’t answer.”

“What do they ask?”

“They ask me like, _ ‘What did you do here?’ _ or  _ ‘What have you stolen, who have you hurt?’ _ and like, that was the intent, but I just ended up working an honest job. Me, of all people.” Kaoru whimpered, “And they can’t believe that.”

“So does that,” Adonis didn’t want to smile, not in this situation, “Does that mean you haven’t told them anything about us?” 

“Nah.”

Adonis felt relieved, that was his initial concern, but he still didn’t understand Kaoru. “Why not? Won’t they stop once they get something?”

“They’re not gonna stop, you’ve never been here so you don’t know, but they’re not gonna stop,” Kaoru rubbed his face against his bare shoulder, “It’d just cause  _ you  _ trouble.”

Adonis couldn’t find any flaws with that logic, but it was still a selfless thing to do. Kaoru hadn’t betrayed any of their secrets, and he couldn’t help but be a little grateful. He also felt like he knew Kaoru better as a person, from his lies and his past, and he didn’t seem like a bad guy even though he’d done bad things. “I think you’re a good person,” Adonis mumbled, meeting Kaoru’s lifeless eyes, “I don’t think you deserve to be in there.”

“At least someone does. Thanks,” Kaoru looked to Adonis with weary half-lidded eyes, “Thanks for everything. I don’t have very long, so I’m glad I got to see you. I thought that morning would be my last.”

Adonis thought it would be their last too. “It doesn’t have to be that way. You’ll be out soon and--”

“No,” Kaoru interrupted, “I said I don’t have long. They want to execute me.” He started laughing after he said it, a defeated laugh, as if that would possibly take the edge off from what he just said, “Can you believe that?” It was all going to end here.

“No...” Adonis gasped in disbelief. He wasn’t ready to hear that. Kaoru didn’t  _ deserve  _ that. He probably woke up every surrounding cell with his voice; and if that didn’t wake them, it certainly woke them as he tried to open the door to Kaoru’s cell, pulling the old rusted door off it’s hinges and sitting at Kaoru’s side.

Kaoru was startled, but laughed weakly at Adonis’s efforts, he pretty much resigned himself to his fate. He was trying not to cry as Adonis embraced him, nudging him away with his cheek, “Hah… Adonis get off of me, I probably smell like piss.” 

Adonis moved away, keeping him at elbows length, but pushed Kaoru’s hair aside to look into his eyes. One eye was bruised and swollen, but he looked gentle and helpless. Adonis always wondered what it would be like if Kaoru called him his first name. He daydreamed of it weeks ago, but none of those dreams were quite like this. The other boy probably didn’t even realize what he said.

“Kaoru,” Adonis tested the name on his lips, and Kaoru’s eyes seemed to focus on him in the dim light of the dungeon, “I want to protect you. I won’t let anything bad happen to you. I’ll speak to my parents and get you out of here.” 

Adonis kissed Kaoru’s forehead, it tasted like sweat and dirt.

“Everything will be okay,” Adonis assured his captive, stepping from his side to replace the door.

_ ‘Everything will be okay’ _ ? Kaoru didn’t believe it, but he didn’t have the strength to have a rebuttal to Adonis’s infectious naive optimism.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UNBETA'D.... im leaving for ausa in a few hours so if you see any mistakes let me know and i'll fix them in a few days


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You want us to give that criminal a trial?” Adonis’s father asked, setting his ocarina to the side and sitting up straight to meet Shu’s eyes. Adonis’s mother was there too, sitting in the seat beside him, attention captivated by a sheet of music.
> 
> “Not necessarily a trial, however, there are some people around the palace whose recounts of Kaoru have gone unheard,” Shu spoke eloquently, not particularly enjoying the harsh eye contact, “Your son, for one. As well as myself, the gardener and… Kanata, whatever title you’d like to give him.”

“Shu?” Adonis knocked on the door to the tailor’s room, “Shu, are you there? I need your help…” As a tailor, Shu didn’t hold any particular power, but Adonis didn’t know who else to go to. His family was out of the question, and Shu seemed like he generally had a good head on his shoulders.

“Yes?” Shu opened the door, a small nightcap on his head, and delicate reading glasses rest upon the bridge of his nose.

“Sorry,” Adonis stepped into the room, noticing a lit candle beside some delicate lace that Shu was evidently knitting, “Am I interrupting you?”

“My concentration was broken the moment there was a knock on the door, what do you need?”

“I apologize...”

“Yes, whatever, surely you have a reason for coming Your Majesty?”

Adonis idly ran his fingers over the scarf around his neck, “I’d appreciate if you could speak to my parents for me.”

“About?...” Shu asked, none too pleased with how Adonis didn’t get to the point. This was starting to sound like something juvenile.

“I’d like it if you could tell them what a good guy Kaoru is,” Adonis suggested, not completely sure if this was the right way to go about things. He was hoping that he could get everyone’s support and free Kaoru, but, in hindsight, that seemed a bit childish and best left to heroic stories. “You met him and think he’s a good person. I was hoping that if enough people could get that point across… then...”

Shu frowned, crossing his arms, “And what will become of me if I try and go against your parents like that?” Nothing good, that’s for sure. He wanted to help Adonis out, but he also possessed common sense.

“It wouldn’t be just you, other people have met Kaoru too, like Kanata and Rei, and even Koga. I don’t think it’s a bad idea.”

“Look,” the tailor sighed, “I understand that you… want to help him, but it wouldn’t be easy for us to go against the wishes of the royal family like this. Your mother and father are very powerful people.” Shu knew his job and place in society could be on the line, all of theirs’ could be.

“I’m part of the royal family too, these are my wishes.”

Shu’s mouth opened and closed, no sound escaping him. Eyes on the floor, he exhaled in defeat. “You aren’t incorrect… fine. Let me speak to a few people before you do anything rash.”

* * *

“You want us to give that criminal a trial?” Adonis’s father asked, setting his ocarina to the side and sitting up straight to meet Shu’s eyes. Adonis’s mother was there too, sitting in the seat beside him, attention captivated by a sheet of music.

“Not necessarily a trial, however, there are some people around the palace whose recounts of Kaoru have gone unheard,” Shu spoke eloquently, not particularly enjoying the harsh eye contact, “Your son, for one. As well as myself, the gardener and… Kanata, whatever title you’d like to give him.”

The older man folded his arms on the table, round instrument teetering beside him, struggling to stay in one place. “Do you distrust our judgment?” he asked seriously.

“I never said that, I simply would like to suggest that everyone’s experience with that man be heard.”

“There’s no harm in it dear,” Adonis’s mother spoke up, “We were absent for a while, it wouldn’t hurt to hear what went on, and it doesn’t have to affect the prisoner.”

“Yes, yes,” he coughed, “I’m very busy today, so can we please wrap this up before dinner time?”

Her reassurance that it _‘didn’t have to affect the prisoner’_ didn’t help the case Shu (and ultimately Adonis) was trying to make, but Adonis’s parents said they would listen… which was better than nothing.

* * *

The Not-Actually-A-Trial happened just after lunch had ended. Rei had joined everyone in the dining room for the meal, foregoing his usual place in the barracks. Kanata was there too, having helped the kitchen prepare and serve fish. Shu normally ate with everyone else, but assured Tsumugi and Mika to go back to his workroom without him. With no desire to draw attention to themselves, the group of three waited until the table was mostly cleared, taking seats beside Adonis and his parents.

Adonis led it off with: “I believe you made a mistake imprisoning Kaoru.” Which might not have been the best course of action, as he was met with grimaces from both of his parents.

“What he means is,” Rei took the initiative to fix the situation, “We have some perspectives on Kaoru to share, ones that you may not have heard.”

“I think that, though Kaoru has a ‘dark’ past,” Kanata’s airy voice caught everyone’s attention next, “He is a good boy. He was very polite and honest with me, and that makes me very happy.”

“T-Thank you,” Adonis stuttered, discussion already off to a weird start. He was glad everyone was sticking up for him, but his parents still looked none too pleased.

“In any case, Kaoru caused no trouble around the palace while you were gone,” Shu stated, “He was by Your Majesty’s side at all times, only leaving him to return to the barracks where he was surrounded by other guards.”

“And occasionally myself,” Rei smiled, resting his head against his hand, “He always seemed a bit timid at the barracks. You may ask the other guards, but I have no evidence that he did anything immoral there.”

“What are you trying to say?” Adonis’s father interjected. His fingers were tapping against the dining table, and he really regretted agreeing to all of this. It would be so easy to execute the criminal and get on with their lives. As far as he was concerned, Kaoru had lied about being a bodyguard and created a false identity to get into the castle, putting everyone at risk (namely his _son_ , of all people); that was certainly punishable by death.

“I don’t think Kaoru deserves his punishment,” Adonis plainly stated, “He worked an honest job. He guarded my body as anyone in his position would.”

“Did he? How do you know that he’s any good as an actual bodyguard?” Adonis’s father sighed, “He’s a criminal, he only cares about himself.”

“That isn’t true,” both Rei and Adonis interjected. There was surprise in the latter’s voice, but Rei kept silent, allowing Adonis to do all the talking. “The other day, we left the palace...” Adonis began, not quite sure how to tell the story, considering it was essentially a cluster of his own mistakes, “I wandered away from Kaoru, and I got attacked,” his parents gasped, and he quickly continued, “It was an accident… my own fault, but he saved me. Kaoru was looking for me and he saved me.”

The parents didn’t quite know how to react to that, but Rei crossed his arms and nodded.

The gardener had orchestrated the whole thing; Adonis was never in any real danger, but his parents didn’t need to know that. It was just to mess with Kaoru, to knock him down a peg and get him to realize what this job _actually_ entails; the one who took Adonis into the alley was his brother, and he didn’t actually expect Kaoru to try and save The Prince. Unfortunately he had to feel Ritsu’s wrath for some time after that, because Kaoru _did_ go to great lengths to save Adonis.

Adonis’s mother was the first to speak, “I see, so that man saved you,” she pursed her lips, making eye contact with her husband before continuing, “I think, perhaps your father shares my opinion that we could _consider_ sparing him.”

“He still has no place in the palace,” her husband asserted.

“Thank you,” Adonis breathed, a slight smile forming in gratitude. He saved Kaoru. He did it. Kaoru could get banished to a faraway land if he had to, but just so long as he was _alive._ Adonis was relieved that he was able to give Kaoru a second chance at anything, it was the least he could do. It didn’t seem like the other boy ever had that opportunity before.

“What of his sister?” Shu spoke, looking to Adonis, “They have nowhere to return to. Surely someone who saved The Prince’s life doesn’t deserve _that_.”

“Ah...” Adonis’s eyes lit up, seeing what Shu was getting at, “Perhaps he can return as my bodyguard, for real this time.”

“You know he wasn’t a bodyguard to begin with, dear?” Adonis’s mother gently reminded him, “He never had qualifications to be a bodyguard.”

“Oh, but he did such a good job at it,” Rei added, “He protected Your Majesty’s life when he could have run and saved himself, surely that’s worth something?”

“Absolutely not,” Adonis’s father silenced him, “He won’t be executed, _fine_ . He and his sister can stay in the palace, _fine_. However this is where I draw the line.” He looked stern, and everyone’s eyes were on him, decision in his hands, “I’m not letting some untrained criminal guard my son.”

“I don’t think he wants to be a criminal anymore,” Adonis tried to appeal to his father, “I think he deserves another chance.” There was a faint pleading tone to his voice, he wanted to do everything he could for Kaoru. They locked eyes, and shared a moment of silence that felt like it lasted for hours.

Adonis’s father sighed, somewhat defeated, before pushing his chair back from the table, “We are going to keep a close eye on him. If _anything_ happens he’s out, no question about it. Do you understand?”

“Yes Your Majesty” and “Yes Father” echoed around the table, and with that, the discussion was over.

* * *

Months since having returned to the palace, this time on far better terms, Kaoru found himself getting along great. He had a room, his sister was taken care of, and he was living a generally honest life.

He still avoided Rei like the plague, but occasionally spoke to Shu and Kanata in passing, the latter more openly thrilled at his presence. Koga’s personality didn’t change much as Kaoru warmed up to him, but they spent quite a bit of time together as he learned about the guard dogs.

Unfortunately he was no longer at Adonis’s side at all times, but he was working his way up there. Adonis’s father provided him with very serious fitness and tactical training for becoming a guard. It seemed like he expected Kaoru to give up after the first day (maybe he even put this together with that in mind), but Kaoru didn’t want to give him any more excuses to be on his bad side. He went to bed sore almost every night from the training, occasionally using his guard status to visit The Prince before bed. It was probably more of an _abuse_ of his power than a _use_ of it, Kaoru figured to himself, but old habits die hard.

“Your Majesty,” Kaoru greeted the other boy with a bow before closing the door behind him, locking it in a practiced motion.

“Kaoru, it’s nice to see you,” Adonis was reading at his desk, but removed his spectacles and stood up to embrace him, locking their lips and running his fingers through Kaoru’s hair.

“Mmn, _Adonis_ , yeah it’s nice to see you too,” Kaoru returned the gesture with another kiss, licking Adonis’s lower lip and meeting his tongue. His knee also found its way between Adonis’s legs, nudging them apart and massaging Adonis with his knee.

“A-Ah… that’s...” Adonis gasped, breaking the kiss and covering his mouth with a hand.

“Stop?” Kaoru raised his eyebrows, lightly nipping at the skin on Adonis’s hand, “We can always take a bath instead, if you don’t want--”

“No, don’t stop,” Adonis shook his head, purple hair falling past his eyes. Kaoru swept it aside, golden eyes staring tenderly into his own, and guided Adonis to the bed. The canopy had since been removed, pushed to the side out of it’s own inconvenience; the pair had no issue tumbling down onto the mattress, sheets swirling around them.

Adonis leaned over Kaoru, nudging into the crook of his neck and pressing soft wet kisses down his collarbone, mimicking things Kaoru had done to him in previous encounters. Kaoru’s head was tilted away, cheek against the sheets and breath coming out in rushed pants. His eyes were closed, embarrassed at his body’s reaction to what little Adonis had done to him. Adonis was the only person he ever wanted to see him like this.

“Kaoru, can I...” Adonis trailed off, fingertips gently dragging down Kaoru’s chest and resting at the hem of his shirt.

“Yeah, take it off,” Kaoru mumbled, already arching his body to let Adonis easily remove his clothing. He’d bared himself to Adonis before, while taking a bath for example, but this felt far more intimate. He kicked his pants off too, Adonis massaging his thigh as he worked the fabric past Kaoru’s ankles.

Adonis turned to the door once more, just for assurance that it was locked, before removing his own clothing and letting it pool at the bedside. Kaoru’s chest was rising and falling with each breath, looking at Adonis out of the corner of his eye.

Adonis bit his lip, hand tentatively stroking Kaoru and watching his face for any reaction. Kaoru’s eyes closed almost immediately, and Adonis pressed small kisses to Kaoru’s flushed cheeks, brushing hair out of his face with a free hand.

“A...Adonis,” Kaoru murmured, arching his hips and grinding into Adonis’s touch.

“Y-Yes?” Adonis returned, voice shaky as he reacted to being called his given name. He loved hearing it from Kaoru, always pleased when they were alone and could refer to each other how they liked, social hierarchy be damned. It was always ‘Your Majesty’ this or ‘Your Majesty’ that, so to hear Kaoru call him his given name gave Adonis all kinds of feelings in his chest.

“ _Adonis_ ,” Kaoru gasped the other boy’s name in a strained voice, opening his eyes just a crack, just enough to see Adonis naked between his legs, hair pushed past his forehead with a gentle look on his face. Kaoru let an expletive pass through his lips, frantically grasping at the bedside table, desperate for the little bottle of lotion that Adonis kept there. He grabbed it and held it out toward Adonis, the small weight removed from his hand as Adonis took the bottle.

“Do you want me to prepare myself?” Adonis asked, blunt as ever, as he slicked his fingers with the oily lotion.

“I was thinking… I could try it this time. You won’t hurt me or anything, right? Just do what I’ve done to you.”

“Oh...” Adonis had a sharp intake of breath, dick twitching at the implication of what Kaoru wanted. This was new. “Yes, I can do that,” he breathed, spreading Kaoru’s legs and rubbing a slick finger around his entrance, “I won’t hurt you.”

“Good… _A-ah--_ ” Kaoru’s breath hitched as Adonis pushed in the first finger, “Give me a little warning next time.”

“I’m sorry, how does it feel?” Adonis asked, gently moving his finger in and out, making sure that the area was slick with lotion. Some of it was dripping onto his bed, but better too much than not enough.

“It’s just weird...”

“Sorry, It’ll feel good.”

“Don’t apologize,” Kaoru whimpered, wiggling his hips as Adonis added another finger. He was starting to feel full, but he was only at two fingers.

“Fuck… Adonis,” Kaoru found himself gasping minutes later, as Adonis added a third finger. Adonis couldn’t help but twitch at the tone of Kaoru’s voice, dick unabashedly dripping against the other boy’s thigh.

The scent of lotion and sex filled the room, Adonis drawing more from the bottle as he prepared himself to enter Kaoru. “I’m putting it in, is that okay?” he grunted as the head of his dick was positioned against Kaoru. The blond nodded, biting his lip as Adonis pushed in. “I’m not going to move yet, I...” Adonis panted, locking lips with Kaoru instead of catching his breath.

Eventually Adonis did start moving, he could only hold back for so long, overwhelmed by the tightness of Kaoru’s body. He could feel and hear excess lotion as their hips slapped against each other, desperately hoping no one would question the locked door and erotic noises seeping past it.

Kaoru moved a hand down his body to touch himself, squeezing his dick and thrusting against his hand as he felt Adonis pounding inside of him. It was so new and weird and overwhelming and he knew he wouldn’t last particularly long at all. His toes curled and his thighs flexed as he came, mind going blank as cum painted both of them, dripping down Adonis’s chest and onto his own hand. He was breathing heavy, arms limp and relaxing beside his body.

“Was that good?” Adonis gasped, pushing into Kaoru as far as he could go and grinding against that tight heat. He leaned forward, kissing Kaoru and sucking at his tongue, pulling out when the sensations became too much. His own release splattered against Kaoru’s waist, small drips of it caught in the tiny patch of hair that trailed from his navel.

“Yes,” Kaoru breathed, catching his breath, “Yes that was _so_ good, but I’m going to hurt _so_ much in the morning.”

* * *

“You know, you really don’t have to be so on edge around me,” Rei smiled, upturned corners of his mouth doing nothing to put Kaoru at ease, “I stood up for you, you know. That person who attacked you in the market would never really hurt The Prince. Maybe he would rough you up a bit, but not The Prince.”

“Great,” Kaoru replied, if only so Rei would leave him alone, “I’m a little busy, I’m on my way to see Shu.” He turned a corner, Rei still following him.

Having since learned that Rei’s family knew of him from his time spent as a thief, Kaoru was less than pleased to converse with the eldest Sakuma sibling. So what if he took a few antiques from them back in the day? They were _good_ antiques, Rei!

“That sounds like an enjoyable afternoon, are there more pants that need to be repaired?”

“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Kaoru mumbled, stopping at Shu’s door and knocking. Thankfully Rei kept going down the hallway, out of sight and out of mind.

Shu quickly answered the door, evidently taking punctuality very seriously. His workshop looked the same as always, fabric was lying about in haphazard piles, probably due to the combined workload of Mika, Tsumugi, and Shu. Regardless, he invited Kaoru inside, directing him to a chair.

“So why’d you call me here?” Kaoru asked, “Notice a rip in my shirt or something? Rei mentioned pants on my way here, but...”

“It’s nothing with your current clothing,” Shu waved his hand, dismissing any concerns along with it. He unearthed a pile of garments from somewhere in the room, gently placing it in Kaoru’s lap. “If you’re getting involved with royalty, you need to dress the part.”

Kaoru leafed through the various layers of fabric. “Are you sure this is okay?” His voice dropped to a whisper, “You’re treating me like I’m gonna marry The Prince or something...” he laughed.

“Yes, well, that’s not quite possible,” Shu murmured, “You can at least look the part. Remove your clothing, I need to dress you.”

“Right, okay,” Kaoru replied, undressing as bare as he needed to be. Shu’s hands were all over him, pulling clothing over his body and editing it as needed. Jewelry was added last, and Kaoru found himself speaking up as a necklace slid around his neck. “Is this real gold?” he asked somewhat incredulously. It looked similar to Adonis’s jewelry that landed him in his wild situation to begin with.

“Yes,” Shu replied curtly, “It is. For once you legitimately have your hands on real gold, don’t mess it up for yourself now.”

Kaoru laughed in response, the garment’s beaded trim jingling as his shoulders shook, “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading, i love kaodonis.


End file.
